Silver Lining
by Innocentenough
Summary: After Neji's rescue, Sakura soon learns that every cloud has a silver lining. However, it's not exactly what she had in mind, despite fate's (and families) attempts at pairing them together. NejixSakura, other couples included.
1. Chapter 1: Rescue

A new story, as promised! I loved writing Breaking Point, I had so much fun with it and hearing everyone's positive feedback made me love writing even more. This was always a hobby of mine but it's now become a real passion and I hope that you guy's enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them!

So, it's another NejixSakura with some minor SasukexSakura, which should be interesting as I have never written Sasuke as a character before … wish me luck! There will be other couples as well, don't worry; if anyone has any requests for couples they'd like to see then please do feel free to ask!

Anyway, on with the first chapter!

 _xox_

 _His feet were nimble as he sprinted through the dark tunnels, his eye's flickering and glistening in the occasional flaming torch that lit the way in a deep orange hue as he ran. Two more Anbu flanked his side and he felt safe at least to know his blind spot was covered in these damp hall's. His mask slipped on the sheen of sweat that was covering his face and he quickly readjusted it, keeping his keen sight trained on the room ahead; her still form was visible through his vision and even though her chakra pathway's were still running and active, he could tell she was either unconscious or restrained so she couldn't move._

 _The rest of his team had already dispatched of the enemy and were currently guarding the perimeter whilst they searched the interior for the victim. She was a friend of his, not exactly close, but he had grown up with her and as such when the Hokage found out about her predicament, it was him that he had sent. He was the best he had, his skills were unparalleled and he was at the top of his game. He had had to sit in the Hokages office, however, whilst he fought back angry demands and threatened him to bring her back or he would loose his position as Anbu captain._

 _He did not take those threat's lightly._

 _He skidded to a stop as they came to the thick, wooden barred door. He held a hand out for his two colleague's to stop and gestured for them to go either side of the closed entrance. He concentrated on the enemies chakra that was currently running around the perimeter of the door frame and with a simple press of his finger's, shattered the barricade. He threw his shoulder into the door and busted the lock open, stumbling into a completely dark room. Light spilled in from the now open door and he suddenly spotted her form slumped and tied to a post ahead of him. He grunted and pressed a finger to his ear piece._

 _"Victim secured. No serious harm seem's to of been done. Any sign of enemy contact?"_

 _A buzzing sound filled his sense's as he waited for a response from his team outside. "Captain. Perimeter still secure."_

 _He straightened up from his defensive crouch and made his way over to her, carefully still analysing their surroundings. He noticed her shift and lift her head to face him; she must of been playing dead in case it was the enemy. Her green orb's widened at the sight of three Konoha Anbu and he watched as her face contorted and a cracked sob of relief escaped her throat. Tear's streamed down her cheeks as she leant her head back against the post and shut her eye's tight, a look of sheer exhaustion taking over her features._

 _He knelt in front of her and leant around her body, running a chakra laced kunai through her tight bond's and gently catching her form as she fell forward's. His hand's felt odd on her shoulder's and he almost let go at the sudden feeling that filled his being; he wasn't a very openly emotional person and felt uncomfortable when people were in his personal space, but she was sick and injured and clearly had no energy left to keep herself straight. He pushed her back slightly so he could see her face; apart from the obvious beating she had taken to the head and the cut's and bruise's that marred her perfectly tanned skin, he could see no further serious damage._

 _Unfortunately, the most damage would probably be mental. Overcoming being kidnapped and tortured was a ninja's highest hurdle._

 _His eye's caught her bright emerald one's as he finished analysing her injuries and he felt himself stop thinking as he took in the sheer relief splashed so openly across her face. Tear's were still streaming and she was sniffing and breathless with each sob that escaped her. She lifted one arm and placed it on his mask, her finger's grazing across where his cheek would be as she gazed through the slit's to try and see her saviour beneath._

 _"Thank you..." She whispered, over and over again and he felt trapped as the world stopped and all he could see was matted pink hair and mottled blue skin and he suddenly felt angry; angry at the people who had done this and that Konoha had let this happen._

 _Her face changed as she became slightly desperate and hooked her fingers underneath the edge's of his mask, trying in vein to remove it. His hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, shaking his head slightly; she knew it was against Anbu protocol to remove a mask whilst a mission was in progress._

 _"Please." She begged. "Do I at least know you?" A hopefulness filled her eye's and he imagined that she perhaps thought that the Uchiha had come to her rescue and would be disappointed by the image of him, but then he saw something else, something other than hope that clawed at the human side of him and that she was quite obviously looking for comfort in a familiar face._

 _He felt his resolve weaken at the look in her eye's and with a deep sigh, he broke one of the most basic procedure's known to Anbu and reached up with both hand's, pushing his mask back up and over his forehead so that it rested loosely on his high ponytail. His trademark tattoo was covered with bandages and his chiseled features had hardened with age into an extremely handsome young man. His white eye's, that were filled with lilac fleck's and rimmed with thick dark lashes, stared into her emerald one's and he felt his male pride swell slightly as she instantly recognised him, her hand's coming up to cover her face as she broke down again, her sob's much more sporadic and uncontrolled._

 _"Neji, Neji, thank you. Thank you so much." She repeated his name over and over, thanking him endlessly for saving her life._

 _He removed her hands from her face and caught her gaze again. A rare smile offered it's existence across his lip's in what he hoped was some form of comfort._

 _"Your safe now, Sakura."_

xox

"Do you think she'll wake soon?" Ino asked, running a cool damp cloth over Sakura's forehead for the hundredth time that morning.

Tenten rolled her eye's, kicking her boot's off and resting them on the end of said woman's hospital bed. She rolled her aching shoulders and took in the disgruntled visage of her friend, sighing in defeat. She'd just gotten back from a rather gruelling two week mission and had heard that Sakura had been found safe and sound. She had come straight to the hospital to see her, knowing that she would find all of the other women of team twelve there and would no doubt get the gossip on what happened.

"She will be fine, Ino, so stop bothering her with that dam cloth and let her rest!"

"Well excuse me." She huffed, waving her hand's at Tenten's leg's so she could walk through the gap and round to the other side of the bed to rearrange some of the many bouquet's of flowers that lined Sakura's room. The bunned shinobi replaced her feet and tipped her head back, taking a moment to rest after such a long time from home.

"You know, you'd think all our friends would buy the flower's from my shop but _noooo,_ they go that new place just down the road where that young pretty thing is. Oh gosh, what's it called again?" She squinted at Hinata, waving a finger through the window and vaguely in the direction of the stall.

"She." Hinata blinked. "Is called Chiharu."

"Yes! That's it! You know I went round there the other day." Ino giggled. "You should of seen the look on her face!"

"Fascinating." Tenten drawled.

"I think she's rather nice." Hinata smiled. "I went in the other day to get -" She politely stopped talking and went back to reading her book when Ino's steel gaze landed on her face.

"Hinata, you think everyone's nice!" Tenten pointed out, unclipping her Anbu gear. "You've already said you forgive Madara!"

"Yes, well..." The young Hyuuga straightened out her skirt. "I think he was just misunderstood, that's all. He clearly had some issue's-"

"Issue's?!" Tenten barked a laugh, throwing her thing's into the corner of the room. "Yea, like trying to kill Naruto! Not to mention almost succeeding with Neji!"

A somber tone settled in the room as a silence echoed and bounced off the wall's, all three women's thought's now back on the war that they had all only just scraped through by the skin of their teeth. That time would haunt them forever; you can't un see what's already been done. Ino fiddled with the leave's on a lilly stem before frowning at it, noticing it sitting in small glass vase on it's own. There was no note, no nothing, just a single lilly sat in water amongst all of the other huge bouquet's that made Sakura's room look like a tropical oasis.

"Whose this from?" Ino asked, holding up the flower and turning it in her hand's. "There's no note or anything."

Tenten and Hinata exchanged a knowing glance, familiar with the custom of one man they both knew rather well.

"It's from Neji-nii-san." Hinata surmised, flicking a page in her book and settling back into her chair.

"Nani?!" Ino shouted, rousing Sakura slightly before the pink haired nin settled back into her pillow's and continued to sleep. Ino flinched in response. "Nani?" She repeated, whispering this time.

Tenten smiled. "Neji only ever leave's one flower. " She shrugged. "It's his thing, I guess. Cheap ass..." She muttered the last part, knowing Neji earned quite a bit as Anbu captain and not to mention being a Hyuuga, yet she had no idea what he spent it on.

"Tenten!" Hinata chastised quietly.

"What!" She laughed, waving off Hinata's criticism. "The guy never does anything besides work! I'm curious to know what he does with the money?"

"If you must know a rather large sum of his paycheque goes to the clan." She said quickly, feeling the need to defend her cousin.

Tenten frowned, "Gomen, I didn't know."

Hinata gave her a small smile. "It's ok, not many people are familiar with the custom's of our clan. Their quite... traditional." She frowned at the last part, turning her purple haired head to look out the window in thought.

A silence settled on the room again, occasionally broken by Sakura's soft snoring or the page's of Hinata's book rustling against one another as she read. Tenten shut her eye's and enjoyed the moment of quiet, her body's hard work suddenly catching up with her as a wash of fatigue settled over her muscles. She felt sore and achey from the constant travel and fighting they had done and was looking forward to the few day's leave she had booked off in anticipation of feeling like crap after this particular mission.

"You know, he's never gotten me a flower!" Ino accused, whirling around to face both women.

"Maybe he just think's that because you work in a flower shop, you'd be sick of receiving them. He's quite literal like that..." Hinata murmured, frowning.

" _Oh my god._ " Tenten sighed loudly, throwing her head back and rubbing her temples. "When you next see him Ino, why don't you just ask him?" She smiled sarcastically before going back to closing her eye's and resting.

Ino raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the weapon's mistress. She was a force to be reckoned with, one of the most powerful female ninja still on active roster. She was covered head to toe in rock hard sinewy muscle and she oozed confidence with every stride of her powerful leg's. She trained vigorously with her old team which kept her alert and strong not to mention incredibly physically fit. Ino shifted her weight and sniffed in indifference.

"Shouldn't you be at the Hokage tower filing your mission report?" She sent her a sickly sweet smile, picking up the damp cloth and rubbing Sakura's head with it again.

"Shouldn't you be running a flower shop?" Tenten shot back, not bothering to lift her head or make eye contact.

"We're closed for the day!" Ino snapped.

"Yea, well, that's probably why everyone goes to Chiharu's now!"

"Tenten!" Hinata's warning tone made her skin crawl with annoyance.

 _"_ _What?!_ Maybe, if the shop wasn't always closed then we would actually go there to buy flower's and Ino for the love of god stop moping her brow, she's not a fucking kitchen floor!" Tenten shouted, leaning over and snatching the cloth from her hands.

Ino opened her mouth to respond but stopped when a loud groan escaped Sakura's lip's. All head's turned in her direction as the young medic opened her green eye's slowly, squinting at the sudden, blinding lights of the hospital. She gripped her stomach again and groaned, squirming uncomfortably between the scratchy bed sheet's as her skin paled and her eyebrow's furrowed in discomfort.

"Sakura?" Ino cooed soothingly, stepping forward's to rest a hand on her shoulder. "Er, Hinata? She doesn't look too good..."

Before the Hyuuga had a chance to stand Sakura promptly sat up and emptied the content's of her stomach across the bed. A silence stretched throughout the room as she coughed, clearing her throat of the acidic taste. Ino's hand still lay on her shoulder, her gaze facing straight ahead as her face paled and an awkward stiffness settled in her back. Tenten sat staring wide eyed at her bare feet that were still propped on the end of Sakura's bed and now soaking wet.

"Oh, Sakura! Are you ok?" Hinata rushed forward's, pushing Ino aside. The blonde stumbled back and into the awaiting chair, a hand on her chest as she tried to recover from the sudden shock.

"You know, I knew I must of smelt pretty bad from the mission and all, but this is disgusting..." Tenten's nose wrinkled in disgust as she felt a wash of nausea rise in her throat.

"I wasn't expecting that..." Ino muttered.

"There's a small wash basin through there, Tenten, go clean yourself up! And Ino, don't just sit there, get me a fresh set of sheet's from the cupboard." Hinata waved a hand at them both, gently laying Sakura back onto her pillow's.

"Sorry..." Sakura muttered, her voice coarse and scratchy.

Hinata smiled. "You just rest now, Sakura." She said softly, stroking a hand through her hair. "It's just a side effect of the concussion."

"So, how do you suppose I get to bathroom without ruining these lovely white floor's?" Tenten drawled sarcastically, her hands on her hips as she looked at the pristine tiles of the hospital room.

Without missing a beat Hinata responded. "I don't know, your a ninja, I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Tenten frowned in disapproval before leaning forwards and walking on her hand's towards the bathroom, trying to avoid dripping anything on the floor.

"Here." Ino handed Hinata clean sheets and proceeded to help her change them around Sakura, keeping her hands well clear of the sick and letting Hinata handle the messy stuff.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, taking the glass of water from her side table and sipping it gently, trying to relieve some of the nausea.

"Don't you remember?" Hinata frowned.

"Tsunade-sama did say this could happen." Ino nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "What's the last thing that comes to mind?" She asked Sakura gently.

The pink haired nin groaned again. Ino backed away quickly making Sakura grin despite her headache. "I'm not gonna blow, pig."

"You took a pretty big knock to the head. It must be sore." Hinata frowned. "I'll go get Tsunade-sama." She smiled, taking her leave.

"Hey, what if she puke's again!"

"I'll help!" Came the muffled reply from the bathroom across the room.

"Sorry Tenten..." Sakura called out, cringing slightly at the memory; thank god embarrassment wasn't a strong emotion for her. A muffled exclamation of her forgiveness came through the closed door and Sakura sat back satisfied with the response. She shut her eye's tight and forced herself to think, trying to remember the last thing she could. All that came to light was her leaving the gate's for her mission, Naruto's enthusiastic wave of goodbye one of the last image's in her head before the headache stabbed through again and a darkness took over.

"All I remember is leaving. That's it." She sighed, rubbing her temples gingerly. "I take it the mission didn't go to plan?"

"Oh no, your mission went great!" Ino started, pulling up a chair. "It was on the way home that you ran into a few problem's..."

Sakura blinked. "Problem's being...?"

Ino stayed silent, averting her gaze to the floor whilst she tried to find the right words to say to tell her best friend that she had been kidnapped, tortured and abused for information about Konoha. She felt a hand grip hers and she looked up into emerald green eye's as Sakura's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Ino? What happened?"

"You know, let's wait until Tsuande-sama get's here and she can explain everything. I don't know all the detail's, ya know?" She pulled a face and waved her now free hand, standing to fluff some more of the flowers.

Sakura frowned, but agreed anyway; she was too tired to argue. She turned to look at the bouquets that were littered throughout her room and noticed the single flower in it's vase resting on the edge of her side table.

"Oh a Lilly! How pretty!" She smiled, picking it up in her hands gently and turning it in her finger's, admiring it's white petal's with pink dustings. "Who got this? Lillie's are my favourite! "

Ino gasped. "They are?! Oh this is good gossip!" Ino squealed. "Hyuuga Neji!"

"Ehhh?! Neji did?" Sakura smiled gently, snowy white eye's and dark hair now filling her vision. "How sweet." She smiled. "But why would he get me a flower? We're not exactly close..." she mumbled off the last part, suddenly feeling guilty for their lack of friendship despite sharing the same group of friends.

"Oh you didn't know?" Tenten started, walking out the bathroom and drying her hands, her bare feet now clean. "Neji brought you home. He's the one that saved you."

Sakura blinked. "He did? Oh..." She returned her gaze to the Lilly in her hand's, her pale fingers becoming all she saw as she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards him.

xox

 _She pushed her weight forwards and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his chest as she grasped him in an iron tight hug, her fingers digging into the cloth of his anbu gear and the skin beneath. He was aware of her crying still but much less audible as he picked her up bridal style, her head still buried into the nape of his neck and her arms still wrapped tightly around his shoulders. He turned to face his two subordinate's and blinked at their seemingly shocked visage's, having been an audience to the scene that had just unfolded. He sniffed in indifference, replacing his mask quickly he readjusted his hold on the young woman in his arms and gestured for them to get moving, jumping into a sprint again as they raced back to re-group and head straight back to Konoha._

 _He had better get a pay rise for this._

 _The trip back to Konoha was at least a three day trek without stopping and Neji was forced to let his team camp for night at the request of his medic who insisted that he treated Sakura's injuries before they got back to Konoha. He was unfortunately met with some resistance._

 _"I promised Hokage-sama that I would return Sakura as soon as possible." Neji resisted, the young woman still wrapped firmly in his arm's. Her sleeping head resting against his shoulder._

 _"And what do you think he will say when you return her in this state?" The man gestured to Sakura's wounds, in particular the one across her temple. Neji hesitated, knowing the man was right. He sighed in defeat._

 _"All right. We'll make camp tonight and head out first thing tomorrow."_

 _His team seemed pleased at the opportunity to rest and he fleetingly wondered whether or not he should be so hard on them. Missions were gruelling and tough work at times and he always pushed them to their absolute limits, but that is why their the best in Konoha and at the top of the list for mission's like this. He made his way over to where Fumio was setting up his medic station, standing back and waiting patiently for the young man to arrange his medical kit. He glanced over at the rest of his team and noted them setting up camp, tent's had been pitched and he blinked as he suddenly noticed the dark grey cloud's rolling in overhead._

 _Great, it was going to rain too._

 _He frowned, that was something he usually would notice much sooner than he had. He turned his attention to the sleeping woman in his arm's as she mumbled something incoherent, shifting slightly to get more comfortable in his grip. She had grown over the years, he had to admit. Since the war she had become somewhat of a prodigy in the village. With that status, hard work and determination, she was able to secure herself a position as chief medic at the hospital as well as being made a part of Anbu and not to mention helping Naruto in his training to be the next Hokage. She also managed to make all of their social events, train regularly with everyone they had grown up with and maintain a strong relationship with her mentor's. She truly was a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention a true beauty. She had kept her hair short to frame her petite face. Her eye's were cat like and a fierce shade of emerald green that shone like fire when you riled her up. Her body was toned and flexible, but not skinny; she had curve's to rival Tsunade's, despite her vicious training regime. She was proud and confident and everything a woman should be._

 _"Captain? You can put her down now..."_

 _Neji realised that he had been staring and he calmly but surely made his way over to the small tent Fumio had pitched and began to lay her down on the roll mat, keeping a blank facade but burning with embarrassment on the inside at getting caught. He struggled slightly and frowned as he was unable to remove her grip from his Anbu top. He blinked and cast a sideways glance at the medic who was seemingly fidgeting with the idea of helping or keeping his distance. At the hard glare he received from his captain he jumped forwards and pried Sakura's finger's from said man's back._

 _Fumio gently lay her down, his hand's immediately going to the large gash and growing bruise across her head. He frowned and reached for his kit, pulling out swab's and viles of solutions._

 _"What? What is it?" Neji asked, catching the look on the young boy's face._

 _"She's received a massive blow to the head. It may be worse than we initially thought. It's quite possible she may suffer some amnesia and not remember the whole ordeal at all."_

 _Neji blinked, his white eye's returning to Sakura as he leant over to get a closer look at her head; medical ninjutsu had alway's fascinated him. He stepped back and out of the way, however, when Fumio cleared his throat, quietly asking Neji to vacate the premises whilst he worked._

 _"Thank you Fumio. Keep me updated."_

 _The young man bowed as his captain exited the tent and stepped out into the gentle pitter patter of rain, readjusting his mask as he activated his Byuukagen to check their immediate surroundings. Neji sighed, enjoying the cool dampness that came with the storm and relished in the diminishing awkwardness that had settled in his shoulders. He often wondered if he was as difficult as Tenten made him out to be; she had alway's said he was slightly socially awkward but he had never really noticed it. However, lately, with his new team, those moments seem to arise more and more and despite his best efforts, he alway's managed to embarrass himself in one way or another._

 _He sighed again. He was only human, after all. Nobody's perfect, not even him._

 _A hot beverage was thrust under his nose and he accepted the drink, pushing his mask back and taking a sip._

 _"Captain, your mask-"_

 _"The perimeter is secure. I've already checked." He noted, his silver eyer's catching her dark blue one's as the young woman nodded, also removing her own mask._

 _Amaya was a complete enigma to Neji. She was born into a noble clan and had been sent to Konoha by her father to train under the best ninja he could find. As a result, she was incredibly talented and a force to be reckoned with once in battle, but she also acted rather strange around him. He would catch her staring at him in quiet moments on mission's, or she would offer to sit with him at night to keep watch even when he ordered her to sleep. She would inadvertently make skin to skin contact with him too, which irritated him to no end; one of his pet peeve's was people's complete and utter lack of respect for another's personal space. She would brush up against him when she walked past, lay her sleeping mat next to his or even occasionally lay a hand on his arm for what he hoped was reassurance but was starting to think was something else._

 _He held her steady gaze with his for a few moments more before closing his eye's and turning his head away. "Arigatou, for the drink. Now, get some rest Amaya."_

 _She blinked, seemingly none to pleased with the dismissal of her presence but consented anyway, turning around and heading for her tent. Neji watched her go before turning toward's a nearby tree and talking shelter from the now pouring rain. He pulled his pack off his back and grabbed his thick blanket, wrapping it tightly around his shoulders before grabbing one of his ration meal packs and leaning back against the trunk of the tree, staring up at the the now darkening sky as night started to sweep in and litter the world with sparkling moonlight. They were close to Konoha, so the threat of enemies was slim to none and he took the opportunity to shut his eye's for a moment and catch a few minutes rest before taking up his position for the first watch of the night._

 _He awoke with a start when a hand rested on his forearm, his pale eye's coming face to face with Fumio._

 _"Gomen, Captain, I didn't mean to wake you."_

 _Neji noticed night had fallen completely now and suddenly realised that he had fallen asleep for longer than anticipated. He sighed, rubbing his eye's slightly to rid himself of the tiredness._

 _"I'll take second watch." Amaya whispered quietly, waiting patiently for him to stand so she could take her place. "Hey Fumio." She tilted her chin at him._

 _He nodded back, turning his attention back to Neji. "I've finished the healing, but she's asking for you, Captain."_

 _Neji blinked. "Excuse me?"_

 _"Sakura. She's asking for you." Fumio gestured at him, frowning as to why he didn't understand him._

 _A silence settled for a moment before Neji cleared his throat. "Why?"_

 _Fumio shrugged. "I'm not sure to be honest, but she's heavily sedated now and falling in and out of sleep, constantly mumbling your name and asking for you."_

 _"It sound's like she's in a dream like state. I'm sure it's nothing, Captain. Why don't you take my tent and rest for a while too? I don't mind keeping watch for a few hours." Amaya was insistent, her dark eye's reflecting the light of the moon in a cat like manner; that had alway's unnerved Neji and he looked away to avoid her intense gaze._

 _"Actually, she's quite distressed..." Fumio trailed off, trying to ignore the tension that had settled in the air around them._

 _"Surely she should be in a deep state of sleep by now?" Neji asked Fumio as he stood to follow him, gesturing for Amaya to take his place. "She's been through a lot."_

 _Fumio nodded. "You would think, but she's resisting. Perhaps your presence will calm her?" He looked around at Neji as he held the tent flap open for him to enter. Neji stared at him for a moment and noted the almost smug look on the young man's face as he seemingly enjoyed putting his captain into an awkward situation._

 _"I'll try." Neji deadpanned, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he stepped into the warm atmosphere of the tent and took in the sleeping form of Sakura._

 _Her head was turning back and forth on the pillow and her eye's were open slightly as she mumbled something quietly. He stepped forwards and heard his name on her lip's. He hesitated, unsure of what to do before finding his nerve and pulling up a stool, gently leaning over her form so he could try and catch her gaze. She stopped when she saw him and a smile graced her features, her flushed cheek's caught his attention and he took a damp cloth from the bowl beside her bed and dabbed her forehead with it._

 _"Neji..." She mumbled again, this time her eye's shut completely and her breathing became deep and heavy as her head fell to the side and she instantly fell asleep._

 _"Strange..." Neji mumbled to himself as he placed the cloth back in the bowl and pondered as to why she found so much comfort in his presence._

 _He suddenly froze and glanced down to see her hand in his lap. Her palm was resting across his thigh and her finger's were grazing the inside of it. A light tinge tickled his cheek's as he lifted her hand into his and placed it back by her side. Her fingers closed around his and he checked her face, only to find her still deep in sleep. He stared at their entwined hand's and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of her small finger's resting against his larger ones, his snowy white eye's imagining a life where something like this was actually possible. He hated people in his personal space and yet he didn't seem to mind with Sakura. Perhaps because they had known each other for so long and she had healed him so many times now that he was used to it, but it still evoked a sensation in him that he wasn't sure whether he liked or not. He looked back up at her face and saw the small smile there and decided that everything he did, how dam hard he worked and how much effort he put into protecting Konoha was all worth it when he was able to bring someone home to their friends and family._

 _Even if she doesn't remember, he would, and that would be enough._

xox

Tsunade took a seat beside Sakura's bed as she lifted her hands and cupped one of her smaller one's gently. There was a sad smile on her face as she looked at the worn and bruised woman who she once called her student. The wrinkle's in her face deepened as she felt anger bubble at the men who had done this to her, that had done this to her Sakura. Kakashi had assured her that they had been taken care of by Neji and his team and wouldn't be bothering Konoha again from the grave, but they were merely missing-nin and rogue's banished from other village's; Sakura should of been able to hold her own, she should of been able to fight her way out.

Something had happened and she desperately needed to find out why.

"Tsunade-sama? Are you ok?" Sakura frowned, squeezing her shishou's hand.

The older woman blinked out of her thoughts before smiling again, "Hai." She squeezed back reassuringly. "How are you doing? Hinata tell's me your not remembering much."

"All I remember is leaving Konoha for my mission. That's it." She shrugged it off as if acting indifferent but Tsunade saw the flash of fear in her eye's at not knowing.

"That was three week's ago now, so that's not too bad for the blow you took to the head. We were expecting a few month's." Tsunade nodded to Hinata reassuringly.

Sakura choked on air. "Three week's?! I've been gone for three week's?" She fell back onto her pillow's in shock.

"Sakura." Tsunade's tone grew serious as she caught the young woman's emerald gaze. "Do you remember anything that happened in that time period? Anything at all?"

Sakura frowned, casting her gaze away from Tsunade to the other women in the room. All looked sad and somber, their visage's screaming sympathy as they watched. She turned back to the older woman, shaking her head slowly, suddenly dreading what she was about to hear. A bundle of nerves knotted in her stomach and a tingle of fear ran up her spine, spreading goosebumps across her skin.

"Shishou... what happened to me?" She breathed quietly.

"The last we heard from you was on your way back from Sand. All it said was mission complete and to expect you in three day's time. Five day's past and Kakashi began to grow concerned." She started, picking her word's carefully whilst eyeing Sakura's reaction. "He immediately sent scout's out but after a week past without hearing anything from you he had to formally declare you missing and send out a rescue team."

"That's where Neji-nii-san come's in." Hinata nodded quietly.

"Hai. He cancelled all of Neji's up coming mission's and made this his sole priority. He sent the best we had." Tsunade smiled, trying to get Sakura to find comfort in that.

"I don't understand. Where was I?" Sakura interrupted, frowning and becoming impatient. "What the hell happened?!"

"You had been kidnapped…" Tsunade said quietly, squeezing her hand but sinking inside at watching Sakura's face pale in shock.

"K-kidnapped?..." She whispered.

"Hai. You were being held in an underground bunker just outside of Konoha's borders. It was an extensive network of underground tunnel's once used for shipping cargo but now abandoned. It took Neji and his team a week of tracking to find you and then a further week of searching, scouting the area and planning the rescue before they could attempt anything."

Tear's started to well in Sakura's eye's and she blinked a few times. The overwhelming emotion of fear, guilt and embarrassment becoming almost too much to bare, but Tsunade pushed on anyway, determined to get this moment over and done with so they could start the healing process.

"When we got you back home it was obvious you had been beaten. The damage to your head was the most concerning and we treated it right away in the hope's of minimising the memory loss. But your test result's showed a few other things."

She stopped suddenly, her throat becoming dry as she swallowed back the tear's and tried to keep a brave face on for Sakura who was currently struggling and failing at keeping her emotion's at bay.

"What other things?" She asked, almost shouting. "What other thing's Shishou!" She knew the answer, but needed to hear it anyway.

Tsunade exhaled, steeling her resolve. "Physical and some sexual abuse."

The world shattered around Sakura as the word's spun in vicious circle's around her head. She stared at her hand's, ashamed and embarrassed to be seen by anyone in that moment because she felt so dirty, so violated and so raw. She hugged her arm's around her chest, suddenly aware of the four pair's of eye's watching her. She rocked slightly squeezing her eye's shut.

She had been sexually abused and she couldn't even remember it.

That in itself was torture enough.

She leant forward and buried her head into her knee's, letting out a cry of frustration before breaking down into cracked sob's, tear's streaming down her pale cheek's as she let her emotion's take over. She was vaguely aware of all four woman around her, cooing soft word's of comfort and rubbing her back gently but she kept her head down and buried, wanting desperately to just run and jump out of the window and escape.

As she wept a familiar face entered her vision, and her emotions latched onto the image of snowy white eye's and dark brown hair, taking comfort in the strange feeling of safety that overwhelmed her senses at the sight of him.

Hyuuga Neji. She had to find Hyuuga Neji.

xox

R+R! Constructive criticism is welcome, as always!


	2. Chapter 2: Shadow Play

FINALLY an update! Sorry it's late! Thank you to everyone who has reviews so far and sorry to those I advent replied to yet, I will soon.

On with the next chapter, Enjoy!

xox

Three months later…

The bed sheets were cold and crisp against her skin, dragging uncomfortably across her body as she shifted her weight so that she could stare blankly out of the crack in her curtains. Sunlight was spilling through the small gap and onto her bedroom floor, dancing across the wooden panels before getting lost in the dark crowded corners of her unkept space. She blinked slowly, her eye's slightly red from the lack of sleep; she had woken twice the evening before from nightmare's, which was actually pretty good for her. Usually it was three of four times or she just didn't sleep at all. The noises of Konoha civilians started to filter through her senses and she frowned slightly at the intrusion on her quiet morning of doing nothing. She should probably be at the hospital being productive, she should probably do a food shop or visit her sensei and she should probably go to the training grounds and start working out again. All of which she would usually do on a Saturday morning, but the empty hole within her chest was weighing her down into the mattress and she couldn't mentally gather herself into a fit state to leave the house, so instead she buried everything down into her inner vault and shut the door tight.

Exactly what her therapist had told her not to do.

She sighed gently, reminiscing on her previous sessions she'd had the past few weeks. It had been going well and had slowly started to work, but sometimes she had bad day's, like today, where she just wanted to do nothing and see no one. It wasn't healthy, she of all people knew that, but anxiety and depression is a hidden battle that more often than not happens without you even realising it. There was a part of her that hoped someone would come visit later to ease her thoughts and distract her mind but then again she hoped that everyone would give her some space to try and piece herself back together. She growled in annoyance, burying her face in her pillow and shutting her eye's in an attempt to block everything out; the vault in her head was getting pretty full.

Her confused thoughts were interrupted by a key in the door and her ear's pricked and her head turned as someone entered her apartment, a string of profanities following after them as they dropped the key's on the floor.

"Sakura? It's just me!" Ino hollered, the rustling of paper bags indicating she had brought food with her. Sakura's stomach grumbled in response as she waited for Ino to come and find her, burying her head back underneath the pillow with a loud sigh.

"Oi, forehead. Don't play the sleeping game with me, it may work with Naruto but you know I see right through these things." She pushed her bedroom door open and let the full light of day in with her, her summer dress billowing out and around her knee's with a flourish as a gentle breeze cleansed the stuffy apartment with fresh air from the now open window's, courtesy of the blonde bombshell barrelling into her morning of nothing.

Ino wrinkled her nose at the sight of Sakura's messy room and stalked over to the curtains, dodging old underwear, clothes and scrolls that littered her floor. She gripped the fabric and threw them back, the sun's intense rays spilling into the room and scattering across Sakura's hidden face. She groaned in annoyance at being disturbed.

"How you doing? It's a beautiful day outside, I thought we could go out for breakfast!" Ino smiled gently, sitting on the edge of Sakura's bed and carefully pulling the pillow away to reveal tired green eye's and ruffled pink hair.

"You smell good…" Sakura muttered, rolling her head over and into Ino's lap, feeling suddenly needy and emotional. Ino smiled, stroking her fingers through her knotted hair gently.

"You could too, if you showered?" She wrinkled her nose down at her friend, noticing how crinkled her clothing was and how greasy her hair felt.

Sakura let a small smile play across her lips. The sun did actually feel nice across her face, and the breeze filtering through the apartment was a welcome addition to the stuffy heat she was so accustomed to recently.

"I guess I could go out for a bit…" She murmured, not really believing the words but saying them anyway.

Ino smiled warmly, seeing a vast improvement in her friend from a few weeks ago when she had tried to do the same thing.

"Good! You shower and I'll put the food away. I just brought you a few bits for dinner later, ok?"

She sauntered out of the room, tossing Sakura a clean towel as she went. The door shut quietly and the pink haired nin was left to herself and her thoughts once again as she tiredly pushed back her bed sheets and padded to the adjoining bathroom. She blinked at the fluorescent light that flickered over her bathroom and illuminated the tiles in a sickly shade of yellow. She threw open the bathroom window in anticipation of steam and turned on the shower, stepping into the stream of water with a loud sigh of satisfaction; god she had forgotten how good a hot shower was.

She emerged dressed and ready, a simple green sundress flowing down to her bare knee's. She slipped on a pair of sandals as Ino continued to put the rest of the food away and chatted to her about where they could potentially go for breakfast. Sakura smiled at her friend, crossing her arms over her chest as she admired the blonde with tired eye's; she was incredibly lucky to have people like this woman in her life.

"Or!" Ino continued, spinning around and pointing a finger at Sakura. "There's this new place at the market that apparently does sensational iced tea, which I do believe is your favourite." She finished with a smug flourish and smile.

"Ino wait…" Sakura stopped her advances towards the door, pale blue eye's meeting her vivid green one's with a tinge of concern.

She frowned. "What is it? You changed your mind?"

"No, it's not that." Sakura chuckled quietly, waving the suggestion off with a flick of her wrist. "I just wanted to say… thank you. For everything. For the food, for looking after me and for being there for me the past few weeks. It's been really tough, but you make it so much easier for my to deal with and I just wanted you to know how grateful I was and…" Sakura trailed off, her explanation going quiet as she suddenly realised how uncomfortable she felt; her and Ino never usually spoke like this.

Ino smiled at Sakura's flushed cheeks, feeling tear's prick the corners of her eyes as she tried to hold back her emotions. She placed a hand on her friends shoulder, getting her eye's to meet hers as she nodded in understanding.

"I would do anything for you Sakura-chan, you are like my sister. Your family! We all are! It's what we do for each other. But I appreciate your thanks, your not the easiest person to drag out of bed when your cranky!" She laughed behind manicured hands, dashing through the front door as Sakura crashed through it after her, shouting and waving her fist in mock anger.

Her spirits were the highest they'd been in weeks.

xox

The sun beamed down across her face, making her pink hair shine in a vibrant halo around her head. She watched the Konoha street's with a content expression, finally enjoying the bustling atmosphere and crowds of people. For a long while she couldn't stand the feeling of anyone stood behind her; it sent chill's up her spine and made her skin crawl so badly and she had no idea as to why because she still couldn't remember anything of her ordeal. Just the thought of it made her shiver, so she pushed it down and into the already too full vault in her head.

She would deal with that later.

Ino strolled next to her, her long hair billowing out behind her as she told Sakura the latest gossip.

"And then I went over to her, and I was like 'Oh, nice flowers you have there. Where'd they come from?' Even though I knew that she was importing them from the same merchant that I use over in rain country!"

"Did it ever occur to you that perhaps all flower seller's in Konoha import from rain country?" Sakura sent her friend a knowing smile, folding her hands behind her back in mock patronisation.

Ino frowned and crossed her arms. "I think I preferred it when you just said nothing…"

"I'm sure Chiharu is a lovely person. Why don't you just talk to her normally? You know, instead of your usual crazy self."

Sakura knew she was playing with fire by the violent glint in Ino's pale blue eye's, but she couldn't help herself; she missed tormenting her best friend, she just made it so easy.

Ino's eyebrow twitched. "Sakura…"

The long drawn out nature of her name made the pink haired nin giggle before she started running off down the street, Ino close on her heels as she shouted profanities after her. Civilians parted to make way for the two as they neared the market, Sakura feeling her cheek's stretch into a genuine smile for what felt like the first time in weeks. Her chest heaved at the sudden exertion of exercise but the adrenaline rush that came with it overruled her bodies complaints as she rounded a particularly sharp corner on the market, her feet skidding out to the side and kicking up dust from the dry and parched road.

She slammed into something hard, smashing her head into it before tumbling down on top of it in a tangle of hair and limbs. She felt cloth beneath her finger tips and with a groan at her now aching forehead, she lifted herself up and stared down into the face of one, Hyuuga Neji.

He lay sprawled out beneath her, his brown bag of food shopping now in a heap above his head where his hands lay outstretched, his eye's were skyward and wide in shock, clearly not expecting a head on collision whilst he haggled with the fish monger on the price of a particularly nice piece of salmon that he was planning on taking home for lunch.

His lavender eye's flickered to meet her's and widened slightly at the sight of her, clearly not expecting his attacker to be Sakura.

"Haruno?…" He mumbled, still hardly believing that this was the same pale and shaking woman that he had rescued just a few months before.

He hadn't seen her since, having completed this mission successfully he was suddenly thrown back onto active roster with gusto by the Hokage and spent the following three months catching up on work he had missed thanks to the pink haired nin currently sat atop his chest and gaping at him like the koi in his fish pond.

He stared back at her, waiting for her to move.

She didn't.

He was about to politely ask her to vacate his body under the intense stares of the local civilians when another familiar face entered his field of vision.

"Forehead, for gods sake, get off of him!" Ino hollered, grabbing Sakura by the arm's and hauling her off said man.

"Arigatou." Neji muttered quietly, he too rising to his feet and turning around to inspect the damage done to his food. He frowned at the mess that littered the dirt track, his fruit and vegetables well and truly ruined; purchasing everything again would probably dig into his savings.

"Neji, I'm so sorry…" Sakura muttered, shyly glancing over his shoulder at the ruined pile of food. "Here." She dug around in her shoulder bag, fishing for her purse. "I'll pay you back, how much was it all?"

Neji turned round to object to her proposal, but two notes had already been shoved into his hands by Ino.

"Oi, pig, don't steal my thunder!" Sakura moaned, unclipping her purse to replace what Ino had already paid back.

"Oh, please, you haven't worked in weeks are you seriously telling me you have enough to pay him back?" Ino hissed, giving her a pointed look. Sakura flushed in embarrassment, ducking her head in shame.

"Neji, sorry about that. We got a little carried away." Ino flashed him a charming smile, one that would usually swoon any man, but this man was different and he merely nodded and smiled back at her gently, thanking her quietly for her payment before turning to clear up his mess.

"Sorry again, Neji!" Sakura called, Ino dragging her along behind in the direction of the restaurant.

"Are you coming to the pub tonight?" Ino inquired, peering back over her shoulder to the handsome nin.

"Hai." He nodded, his silver gaze catching green.

The blonde smiled knowingly. "Good, we'll see you there!"

"Shouldn't we help him?!" Sakura protested, glancing back over to where Neji knelt with another civilian as they cleaned up and threw away his ruined food.

"Just keep walking, forehead, it's all part of the plan!" Ino cooed, turning them into the shadowy depths of the restaurant. She plonked them down underneath a particularly large umbrella, forcing Sakura into the wooden seat before placing herself down opposite. Sakura leant back in her chair to see around the stalls at the now retreating form of the Hyuuga.

"What do you mean plan? What plan?" She hissed, her chair falling back into place as she leant over the table.

"Nothing!" Ino smiled, unwrapping her napkin, flicking it out and placing it on her lap and smoothing out the wrinkles.

"Ino…" Sakura warned.

Ino sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Ok, fine! But promise me that you wont get mad?"

"Oh come on!" Sakura hissed. "That only ever means bad things!" She whined, tipping her head back. As her eye's hit the blue of the morning sky she suddenly felt alone, the darkness of her bedroom creeping in around the edges of her vision as the noise of the market suddenly overwhelmed her senses.

"…kura. Sakura!" Ino's hands were over her's, gripping her fingers tightly.

"What? Yes?" her head snapped back to light blue eye's, a frown of concern over them.

"You ok?" Ino asked quietly.

Sakura's heart was beating out of her chest, her nerves were on knife edge but she nodded anyway, chewing on her lip; the anxiety was bad today. Ino eyed her carefully, resting back into her chair as he hands loosened their grip before slipping away completely.

"If you need to go home, we can-"

"No. It's ok. I'm ok. It's good to acclimatise, ya know? The panic's are less and less so…" Her exclamation trailed off. "Anyway." She coughed, clearing her throat, "This plan?"

"Oh! right, well… Oh, Hinata will get mad if I tell you!" Ino wrung her hands slightly, feigning nervousness.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Like you care what Hinata thinks of you?"

Ino sighed, rolling her eye's. "Your right, I don't know why I tried that."

"So?… You know for someone who likes to gossip a lot, your very much skirting around this issue."

"Ah, two iced tea's please!" Ino called to the waitress, waving her over and smiling.

"Ino!" Sakura hissed. "Stop avoiding it! What's this plan?"

"Not now Sakura, we're ordering!" Ino sniffed, turning to the young waitress and smiling warmly. "Can I also get your small breakfast meal?"

"Ino!"

"Oh, do you want one too? Make that two, please!" She smiled.

Sakura smiled apologetically at the waitress, "Sorry…"

She merely nodded politely and took her leave, going to retrieve the ice cold drinks to soothe their thirst.

"So!" Ino smiled. "I saw Chiharu again the other day after and…"

Sakura sighed tiredly and settled back into her seat, listening to another one of Ino's stories as she gossiped. It seemed she would never get the information on this so called 'plan', perhaps she could drill Hinata when she next saw her. Ino was good at dropping hints and then avoiding the issue completely, steering people of in a different direction of conversation which usually worked for most, but not her. She drummed her fingers on the table, chewing on her lip absentmindedly as she pondered on what Ino was up to.

"Anyway, everyone's at the pub later. I thought maybe you'd like to come for a little bit? Maybe just an hour or so, just to see everyone. They've all been asking after you…" Ino smiled at her gently.

Sakura thought about the stuffy heat of the pub, surrounded by noise and the stale smell of alcohol. The thought alone made her hair stand up on end but she nodded anyway, a tight smile stretching her lips; she had to at least try, she couldn't just live in her flat all day and avoid everyone, sitting in the dark and wishing her life away.

She could do this.

She had to do this.

xox

She stared at herself in the mirror, the same green dress she'd worn that day seemed to stick to her skin in unflattering way's as she pinched at the fat around her hips. She frowned as she lifted the hem and stared at the flat planes of her stomach; she was still the same shape as before, but the muscles she had worked so hard to gain in the first place had started to disappear beneath a layer of thin skin. She raised an eyebrow as she poked at her bellybutton, it looked quite nice now sat amongst the curve of her stomach rather than sucked into the muscles of her six pack.

The dress fell back into place with a sigh before she grabbed some mascara and and lipstick and started to address the situation that was currently her face. Her hair, freshly washed and brushed now sat in a messy bun at the back of her head. She blinked at the dark bags beneath her eye's before applying some concealer to cover her secret; sleep was a luxury these days.

She smiled gently at her reflection; she didn't scrub up to bad.

A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts before it opened with a flourish and Ino entered behind a cloud of perfume. Sakura poked her head out of her bedroom door to greet the blonde.

"I'm here!" She declared, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the now clean apartment. "You've been busy today?"

Sakura shrugged. "It was feeling cluttered so, ya know…" her explanation trailed off awkwardly. It seemed to do that a lot these days.

"Well, I think it look's great!" Tenten grinned, coming in the door behind Ino and leaning an elbow on the blondes shoulder, blowing a strand of brown hair out of her face. "Ya know, compared to the pig sty it was before."

"Do you have any manners at all? Or are they just hidden beneath that manly physique of yours." Ino scoffed, shaking her shoulder free.

"Hey, honesty is a blessing. You should all be grateful that I tell you truth!"

"I'll bare that in mind next time." Hinata smiled, joining Tenten in the small apartment.

"I'll be right there guys!" Sakura called from her bedroom, finishing getting ready with a spray of perfume before grabbing her bag and shutting the door behind her.

"You look lovely!" Hinata cooed, coming to Sakura's side and giving her strong hug. "How are you doing? Are you sure your up for this?"

Sakura nodded. "If I don't try I wont know, so I may as well. Anyway, you guy's will be there." She smiled.

"Exactly!" Tenten grinned. "We'll look after ya." She slung an arm around Sakura's shoulders and led her out the door. "Also, I hear Neji's gonna be there. Maybe you can finally have a full conversation with him. Ya know, full sentences and everything. Maybe thank him for before…?"

"Tenten! We weren't going to say anything!" Hinata elbowed her slightly, an annoyed frown gracing her petite features.

"Wait, what? Is he annoyed at me?" Sakura stopped walking, her green eye's filled with concern. "I obviously would of said something It's just I've been a bit out of the picture the past few weeks and haven't really been working or even leaving the flat-"

"Hey, it's ok!" Tenten laughed, patting her back gently. "He's not angry at all. He hasn't even said anything about it to us. We just thought maybe it would a nice gesture, he appreciates that sort of thing. No one else seem's to thank him for his hard work so we thought if you did, it would cheer him up a bit!"

"Oh…" Sakura wrung her hands nervously.

"It'll be fine." Ino smiled. "All you have to do is say 'Thank you for everything', give him a kiss on the cheek and all's good."

"Can we maybe skip the kissing bit…?" Sakura mumbled.

"Don't feel pressured by these idiots." Hinata smiled gently. "Just do it at your own pace, it doesn't have to be tonight."

"Ok." Sakura replied, falling into step with the three woman again, but in the back of her mind, a pressure to please them began to build and a sudden dark cloud blanketed her thoughts towards this evening.

Perhaps tonight was going to be harder than she thought.

The pub wasn't as crowded as she had imagined, a few booths here and there were occupied by fellow nin and a few lone men or women lined the front of the bar drinking alone, but it was otherwise relatively nice. The smell of alcohol was strong and she wrinkled her nose slightly in mild disgust; perhaps she would get used to it. The lights off the bar danced their way through the shadows of the room and she followed it's path to soon catch sight of their friends.

The boys were lounging in a much larger booth in the corner, their poses relaxed and comfortable as they chatted amongst themselves. It always struck Sakura how much older they all were now; a few years had done good to everyone. Shikamaru was much more involved with running the village with Kakashi and helping Naruto prepare to take over. Kiba was still on active roster in Anbu alongside Tenten, Shino joining them occasionally as well when he wasn't on clan business. Lee was training genin at the academy and Naruto was the same old boy she had grown up with, his boisterous laugh drowning out everyone else's conversation. Sat next to him was Neji, his hair pulled back into a tight, high ponytail, framing his sharp features handsomely. He was still in Anbu, working as captain and with his own team, perhaps one of the most successful of them all but would be the last to admit it. He was lounging in his chair, watching the conversations in front of him whilst he absentmindedly sipped at his drink.

But next to him, to her complete and utter horror, sat Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura froze, her leg's stopping beneath her against her will as she stared at her ex-boyfriend. He was handsome as ever, one leg rested atop the other as he lazily acknowledged the other men in the group. His gaze flickered her way quietly and she watched as they widened ever so slightly at the sight of her. She quickly turned and grabbed Ino's arm, dragging her to the side and towards the bar.

"We'll get the first round!" She called over her shoulder, ushering Ino forwards.

"Eh?!"

"Why didn't you tell me Sasuke would be here?" Sakura hissed, throwing her bag down on top of the bar, attracting the attention of the bartender.

"By we, you meant me right? Because you literally have no money -"

"Ino!"

"Ok, ok! I just didn't want to freak you out, alright? You've been doing so well recently and to be honest, getting used to having Sasuke around will be good for you. He's back now, which means he's going to be in Konoha, so your going to see him a lot. This is just the first step."

"No, your right. Sorry…" She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples to try and rid the on coming headache.

"Bottle of Sake please, four glasses!' Ino smiled sweetly at the bartender. "Look, you don't have to stay long tonight. Everyone just wanted to see you and make sure you were ok. You can leave whenever you like." Ino smiled reassuringly, squeezing her arm.

"Thanks, Ino" She smiled, picking up her bag. She took a deep breath before turning to the table and making her way towards her friends. The room seemed to warp around her as she moved, her breathing became shallow and a bundle of nerves buried themselves deep in her stomach as she took each step. She suddenly felt eye's on her as the group stopped talking and all turned to watch her approach; she had never felt so nervous in all her life.

She had never grown up nervous; she was bold, confident and proud of it, a fiercely independent woman who looked after herself no matter what. That's why what had happened to her was so degrading; she had nothing left and she would never forgive those men for that. They had taken away her power and left her with butterflies in her stomach and a racing heartbeat whenever she was slightly uncomfortable.

She hated it.

The anxiety, the moods, the nightmares, just all of it. She was so exhausted, so fed up and yet it seemed that this was life now; she had to face things head on. She had learn to be bold again and like Ino had said, this was just the first step.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted, grinning like a loon as he jumped over the table and enveloped her in a hug. "Your here!"

She laughed, "Yes, I am. Hi Naruto, you ok?"

He nodded enthusiastically, pushing her towards the table and into some of the guy's as he tried to squeeze her into a seat next to him. She stumbled, bumping into Neji's leg's as she tried to get past him. He sat up in his seat and moved his leg's aside politely, looking up at her as she smiled apologetically.

"Sorry…" She mumbled quietly, trying to avoid eye contact for too long.

He merely nodded, lowering his gaze to his drink as she past.

"Eh, Sakura-chan, good to see you!" Kiba smiled, raising his drink to her in greeting.

She nodded, smiling back whilst taking her seat, her hands shaking slightly from the rush of adrenaline and anxiety.

"You ok?" Hinata murmured quietly from the other side of Naruto, her pale eye's filled with concern.

"I'm fine." Sakura smiled tightly; everyone constantly asking was getting a bit frustrating.

"Here we go, drinks girls!" Ino announced as she arrived at the table, sake in hand as she dispersed the glasses and started to decant the clear liquid evenly between them.

"Sake? On a Thursday? You've changed, Ino." Shikamaru sniffed, tipping his head back.

"And your still the same boring old Nara, but you don't hear me complaining about it." She snapped back, taking a seat next to choji.

A chorus of chuckles erupted around the table before everyone started to separate off into their own conversations again, a steady atmosphere settling in the booth. Sakura glanced everywhere but to her left. There sat not only the man she had to now thank but also the man she had once loved with all her heart and had shattered it into a million unfixable pieces.

She stared at the drink in her hands, its clear reflection flashing a muddy image of herself back at her. She lifted it and drank, it's strong taste burned her throat and she welcomed the distraction so she could take a moment to compose herself; her back was rod like, her shoulders hunched with stress and she felt her muscles tense with each anxious thought that bounced off the walls of her mind.

"…-ing better?"

She blinked and turned towards the voice.

"Eh?"

Neji stared at her, his drink resting neatly in his hand as he sat back into his chair, getting comfortable.

"I said, are you feeling better?" He repeated quietly, his deep voice reverberating through his chest.

God's he was handsome, "Hai, I'm getting there. Slowly, but surely." She smiled at him, although it came across shy and reclusive.

He nodded. "That's good."

"Actually, there was something I wanted to say…" Sakura started, fidgeting with the rim of her glass as she glanced away from him.

Neji observed her quietly as she shifted in her chair, clearly feeling uncomfortable and awkward. Since when had she become like this? Ino had said she was getting better, but this was not the Sakura he had grown up with. Her usual boisterous personality had been replaced with someone whose nerves were so high strung she could barely get a sentence out. He frowned quietly; it made him angry that she was like this, angry at the men who had stripped someone of themselves and replaced them with a robot. He shifted his weight slightly to alleviate some of the tension that was building in his muscles before turning his attention back to her. He felt sympathetic for her cause and so tried to strain his features into a neutral expression so as not to scare off her attempts at what ever it was she was trying to say.

Perhaps the Uchiha was making her nervous?

Bastard had broken her heart a few months before she was kidnapped. The gossip had spread like wild fire across Konoha and he had seen her only once from a distance as Ino dragged her way from the bar and back to her flat, stumbling over her own feet in a fit of drunken limbs and slurred word's.

Luckily after that Sasuke had been sent on a long mission to nations much further than most nin traveled, which meant he was out of everyone's way, especially Naruto's, for the time being.

A smart move on Kakashi's part.

"It's about what happened a few month's ago…" Sakura started softly, glancing up at him from between her lashes.

"Yes?"

She was going to say thank you, he just knew it; Byuukagen had other benefits including being able to read peoples emotions like an open book.

"I just wanted to say th-"

"Hyuuga Neji. Your presence is requested with the Hokage."

Amaya's icy voice cut through their timid conversation like a knife. She stood in front of Neji, her arm's crossed over her chest, Anbu gear already in place. Her mask was pushed aside to the top of her head revealing deep blue orb's that pierced Sakura's heated emerald gaze like needles; it was an outright slap in the face to Neji and his order's. They were to wear their Anbu masks at all times whilst on active duty, yet here she was, seemingly comfortable enough to disobey her captain. Sakura frowned; she didn't like this woman already.

Neji sighed quietly, downing the rest of his drink he placed the empty glass on the bar table and moved to stand, turning to look down at Sakura.

"Gomen. I will speak to you again soon. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Sakura smiled apologetically before nodding in response, watching him leave with an air of disappointment surrounding her.

"Tough break, Neji!" Tenten laughed, slapping her old teammate on the shoulder as he past her and Lee. Sakura didn't miss the small smile he gave her in return.

She watched them go, a sudden longing erupting in her chest as Neji's back turned and he followed the pretty woman out of the bar. She didn't miss the glances the woman gave him from the corner of her eye's when she thought he wasn't looking, or the graze of her hand across his arm in thanks when he let her exit first. The pink haired nin sighed gently, emptying the gaping hole that now sat in the middle of her aching chest; why was she feeling like this all of a sudden?

"You know, staring at him won't help."

The sarcastic twang of Sasuke's voice struck a nerve in her jaw and she ground her teeth in practiced anger. She turned to him and for the first time in six month's stared into the face of the man who had broken her; she may blame a lot on what had happened and the events that arose three months before, but the real reason for all of her heartache and pain was this man, this man sat right in front of her.

She gripped her drink tighter and downed it as well, slamming the glass back on the table she turned towards the bar to find Ino, standing up and storming past the arrogant man. She gripped the blonde's arm and whirled her towards the barman, ushering him over.

"Eh? Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"

"We're getting more drink…"

xox

She giggled behind cupped hands as they stumbled out of the bar, arm in arm and singing nonsense about nothing. Sakura gripped Ino's arm tightly as the world span and she grinned happily, staring up at the night sky and the star's that were scattered across it's dark surface, dancing and glittering in a naively hopeful manner.

"Do you think maybe we should of stopped them drinking sooner?" Tenten whispered to Hinata, eyeing the pair ahead of them.

The purple haired woman shrugged, "They will regret it tomorrow. Let's leave them to learn from their mistakes on their own."

Tenten whistled behind her teeth, "Dang, Hinata! You've gotten harsh." She wrinkled her nose. "Remind me not to get your bad side."

"Noted." She nodded, eyeing Sakura carefully. "Let's follow them home, make sure they get back ok?"

"Was that not the plan anyway?"

They shared a smile, Tenten placing her hands behind her hand and staring up at the night sky as they walked, Hinata beside her with her hands folded in front of her hips, swaying and knocking her thighs with each step she took. The night was peaceful and warm, the summer heat from the day lingering well into the evening. Sakura sighed happily, her hand looped with Ino's as they wandered back through the now quiet streets of Konoha.

A shadow danced before her vision and she halted, goosebumps rising nervously across her bare arm's as she watched the figure dance around the buildings to their left. Ino had stopped now as well, pulling on Sakura's hand, but she stayed still, her leg's like rod's of iron that weighed her down into the dusty road. Her breathing hitched as her eye's stayed glued to the shadows, watching it in horror as it morphed and warped until it stepped into the light and breathed life into a man.

She was unaware of the women frantically waving in front of her face, their hand's pulling on her's to get her attention as they panicked, but all she saw was this man. He wasn't particularly tall, plain if you will, but with startlingly red eye's that seemed to swallow the rest of him in a sickly sweet glow.

Then suddenly he was in front of her, her vision clouded with the image of him. His face was still hidden in shadows as his hands reached forwards and gripped her tightly, pulling her close so that his dank breath washed over the skin of her cheeks. She struggled against him, tear's starting to well beneath her lashes as she mumbled for him to stop, to leave her alone.

Now he was frantic, his hands all over and gripping her in places that should only ever be visited in private. She thrashed painfully from side to side, gritting her teeth and pulling back but he was too strong, his large hands holding her in place. His teeth grazed her neck and she let out a strangled cry of help, tears rolling freely down her cheeks as she openly sobbed, begging him to let her go.

Hinata's concerned face suddenly switched with his and Sakura's eye's widened in surprise before filling with relief. The moment didn't last, however, as the man's face was back again, furious now. She backed away, her eye's wide with fear as she tripped and stumbled to get away from him. She turned to run but she was grabbed from behind and she turned to lash out only to see Ino frantically trying to keep her still.

"Sakura, it's just me!" She was shouting, twisting to try and get a better grip on the woman's wrists.

"Ino? Ino make it stop! Make it stop!" Sakura cried, sobbing as the man replaced Ino and she was once again surround by darkness.

"Neji, Help! Help me!" She screamed, turning and running away from him, tripping on her sandals and falling to the ground. It scraped painfully against her arm's as she knelt up and gripped her head in her hands, the world now spinning around her in a nauseating, continuous circle. White eye's and brown hair filled her head as she mentally cried out for her saviour.

"Tenten! Hold her down!"

Hinata's voice rang through Sakura's mind as her sense's went into overdrive and everything was too much, far too much. The smell of the dirt, the wind in her hair, the pain in her arm, the taste of alcohol in her mouth; it overwhelmed her so much until all she could do was squeeze her eye's shut and kneel forwards into a ball, her hands gripping her head tightly as if she could knock the vision straight from her head. She felt a pair of strong arm's wrap tightly around her and she had to force herself not to vomit as the sight of the man filled her vision again. She'd had enough, she didn't know how to escape. Her mind was spilling over with noise and her ear drum's felt like they were going to burst. She was too hot, sweat dripping from her forehead as she rocked back and forth. She grit her teeth, feeling the searing hot panic rising in her throat.

But before she could stop it from erupting, stop it from escaping, her mouth unwilling opened and she lent forwards and let out a blood curdling scream.

It was official.

Haruno Sakura had cracked.

xox

I just read back through this and realised it's pretty much the same as 'Breaking Point' but with Sakura now instead of Neji.

….that was unintentional and I apologise in advance!

I will try and steer it in a different direction!

Reviews appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3: A New Home

Gah! Sorry for the late update. I started another story called 'Repent' (go check it out if your a YuGiOh fan!) and this story got left behind as a result. I'll try and keep updating them both consistently from now on.

Also, I just wanted to say thank you to the reviewers who are picking up on my grammar and spelling mistakes. The reason I write is not just because I love the characters and creative writing itself, but because I'm trying to get better. So when I get a review with constructive criticism in it I really latch on and try and make the next chapter more grammatically accurate.

Also, thank you to people who are simply reading and going on this journey with me. You da bomb!

Right on with the next chapter. Enjoy!

xox

"Post traumatic stress disorder."

Tsunade's words cut through the thick tension in the overcrowded room, the heat of the summer evening not eased by the bodies crammed into the tight space of Sakura's bedroom. She eyed them all carefully, unsure of their reactions but was relieved to see them all release a breath they'd been holding in anticipation.

As a medic, physical injuries and sickness were easy cures. Chakra allowed for extreme advances in medical practice. But mental illness was a whole different ball game. It was unknown territory and incredibly intimidating. It was unfortunately partially down to the patient to get better; they had to _want_ to get better. She turned concerned golden orbs down to the pink haired nin that now slept soundly in her bed, the sheets tucked to her chin courtesy of Hinata.

She quietly prayed that Sakura would _want_ to get better.

"So, that's good?"

The question had come from Tenten; a level headed and strong willed kunoichi whose blunt personality sometimes cut through people like a knife. Unlike the rest of the people in the room, her bright brown eye's shone defiantly in the moonlight.

"Yes. In a way. It's not a physical ailment, so she will get better. But she need's us. She need's you. She need's all of you." Tsunade pointed a finger around the room, making sure that her point was made sufficiently.

"I don't get it." Naruto sighed, his blue eye's glued to Sakura's face. "She's been having counselling. I thought she was better?" His voice had risen an octave near the end and Tsunade could feel the tension rolling off his shoulders.

"It's not that simple, Naruto-kun." Hinata sympathised, holding her husbands hand gently.

"We'll sort her out. Don't worry, baa-chan." Shikamaru's voice cut through the night and Tsunade glanced up to catch his obsidian gaze.

Out of everyone she knew, he was the most deceptive at reading peoples emotions. Sure the Hyuuga's were gifted, but this man was practically _designed_ for interrogation. He had looked at her and immediately caught on to her grief, her sadness at not being able to protect her student. She nodded at him and allowed a small smile to cross her features; that was thanks enough.

"Alright, everyone go apart from the girls. Theres more we must discuss."

No one argued with her and departed slowly, their footfalls becoming quieter until finally Sakura's front door shut quietly behind them.

"Now. What's all this about her shouting for Neji?" Tsunade lifted her chin in Ino's direction.

" _You told her?!_ " Tenten hissed whirling on the blonde, "Ahh, man!" She kicked the carpet in defiance.

"Don't you think it's important she know's?" Ino snapped back, crossing her arms in defence. "It's weird! They've never been close, Tsunade-sama, and now all of sudden whenever she's in trouble or _scared_ , she call's for him! It's not the first time I've heard it…"

Tsunade frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Whilst I've been looking after her. She's been sleeping and I've been cleaning and I've heard her say his name. Multiple time's I might add." She wagged a finger for a effect.

"Strange…" The older woman mumbled.

"There must be a part of her mind that remember's the rescue. Her subconscious must remember seeing Neji and is now automatically associating that feeling of safety to him every time she feels at risk." Hinata nodded, her piercing silver gaze staring at Tsunade which unnerved her greatly; Hinata's new found confidence was quite disturbing sometimes, but she nodded in agreement anyway.

The young woman was right.

The room feel silent for a minute as all the women considered this point. Sakura's bedroom window had been opened slightly to allow a cooler breeze to filter through the stuffy apartment and even though she had been knocked out cold by one of Tsunade's concoctions to keep her calm and asleep, goosebumps still arose on her exposed skin and her pink brows furrowed slightly at the chilling discomfort. The older woman reached forward to tuck her arm's back under the covers but stopped when she saw all three women helping Hinata do it anyway. She backed away gently, watching the seen with soft eyes, relief washing over her system as she realised that her little prodigy would be looked after just fine without her.

A sudden idea crossed her mind and she blinked in surprise, a small smile stretching her thinning lips as she cemented it into the back of her head.

"I think I've got a plan…" She muttered, catching the other girls questioning gaze's. "Let's wait until Kakashi gets here." She smiled reassuringly.

Despite the desperate nature of the situation at hand and the overwhelming sense of guilt that drowned out all of her other senses, she smiled warmly, her golden orbs glistening in the dull light of the full moon.

She had a plan and she was dam sure she was going to make it work.

xox

Kakashi stared down at his student with a hooded silver gaze, his thoughts wandering on how on earth they had ended up here, in this situation. He was jogged from his mindless thinking by Tsunade shifting her weight opposite him, her gaze also on the pink haired nin that slept soundly in her bed. He sniffed, trying to bring himself back into the realms of reality.

"So, you have a plan?"

Tsunade glanced up at him, the first words he had spoken since he got here. She eyed him carefully, dark rings rimmed his one good eye, the mask he consistently wore covering the other hidden features that would of betrayed how tired he truly was. She sympathised with him, the job of the Hokage was no easy task; she knew that better than most.

"How'd you know?" She responded, trying to maintain some of her haughtiness.

"It's written all over your face."

His blunt response made her wince slightly, "The girls can stay, they need to know this too. Sakura needs all the help she can get."

He merely nodded.

"Oh, baa-chan, _come on and spit it out!_ Some of us don't have all night." Tenten's brisk outburst made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she sent the young woman a poignant glare in response.

"You watch your tongue, young lady. I'm still your elder."

"Actually," Kakashi cut in, "She does have a mission to prepare for."

Tenten's smug look of satisfaction as she crossed her arms and leant back against the wall made Tsunade's skin crawl with embarrassment, yet she merely cast her gaze elsewhere and settled on the calming pair of lavender eye's that watched her closely.

"She need's to be off work and active roster indefinitely. Until _I_ deem her better." She glanced at Kakashi, gauging his reaction. He merely stared at her, waiting patiently for her to continue. Thats what made him such a good Hokage; patience. Something she sorely lacked. "She quite clearly has associated safety with the Hyuuga boy, so why not put them together?"

The silence that descended across the room made her falter slightly in her decision, but she carried on anyway; she was in too deep she may as well try swim the distance.

"Have her move in with the Hyuuga's. Being around Neji will make her feel better. Being alone in this apartment is making her question her safety. But don't make it obvious, disguise it as Hinata being the one to look after her. She can have her counselling sessions from within the compound."

"And what makes you think Neji will agree to this? The man belongs in the field, not _babysitting!_ " Tenten snapped, releasing her arms and taking a step forwards.

"Assign it to him as a mission, Kakashi. Then you _know_ he will see it though to the end." Tsunade cast her piercing gaze to said man and waited as he seemingly contemplated her idea, running it over and over again in his head.

"Loosing Neji's respect by assigning him this as his sole mission is a dangerous game to play, Tsunade-sama." He murmured, the cloth of his mask moving across his lips as they settled.

"Would you prefer to loose Neji's respect or Sakura's _mind_. Your choice, Hokage."

Her words hung in the air and she felt a tension settle as her reminder of the reality of the situation seemed to make them all finally think of Sakura.

"Tsunade's right. She'll be safe with us." Hinata stepped forwards out of the shadows she'd been resting in, keeping out of the discussion but analysing from a distance. "But don't take Neji off active roster just yet, give him the odd job now and then but start to spread them out. By the time he suspects something is wrong, he will get used to the idea of protecting her. It will soften the blow a little when he finds out."

Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Good idea."

"Also, you need to give that girl something to do." Ino chimed in, standing from her seated position in the chair in the corner of the room and pointing a manicured finger at the sleeping woman. "If I know Sakura as well as I think I do, then asking her to sit in that compound with nothing to do but think on whats happened, she'll go bat crazy anyway."

"She can help me with clan work. She's always enjoyed clan history and research." Hinata responded, "Maybe she can tutor Hanabi on some medical ninjutsu, as well."

All eye's fell on Kakashi as they waited for him to make a decision. The idea made the guilt for real as the realisation of the fact that he couldn't be the one to protect her anymore made his throat tighten and his chest heave.

"Alright. I'll issue it first thing next week."

A chorus of sighs of relief echoed throughout the room and he felt himself smile; apparently he had made the right decision.

"But this stays under wraps understand? If the other elders catch wind of this…" His explanation trailed off. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Ino smiling brightly up at him, the light of the full moon making her blue eye's glisten.

"Our lips are sealed."

xox

Neji had a love hate relationship with mission's.

He loved them for the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline of a good fight and the heroic nature of saving someone's life. It made him feel proud and accomplished to be a part of protecting Konoha and it's civilian's. He also enjoyed the nice pay check that occasionally accompanied the bigger job's.

That was shallow, but true.

However, he hated the long hours traveling, the complete and utter lack of sleep and the absence of necessary personal hygiene. He had just completed a mission in rain country; his least favourite of all places for obvious reason's. He was completely and utterly soaked through to the bone, his shoe's squeaking against his feet with each step he took. The noise had been grating on his nerve's for the past few hour's and a foul mood had descended across his face as he walked through the gates of Konoha. He rarely wore his Anbu coat as he found it slowed him down in battle or on long journey's and so as a result when it rained, it poured and he usually stalked around looking decidedly like a drowned rat.

He strode past the guard on duty, nodding his head in their general direction as a greeting, but didn't stop to chat. His tongue was currently stuck to the roof of his mouth and his teeth had a grimy film from where he hadn't been able to brush his teeth the past few day's; he''d been tracking a a high lord that had been shipping weapon's illegally in and out of rain country and as a result couldn't leave a single trace of his existence behind. He was also aware of the fact that he stunk to high hell of sweat and god know's what else was in the thick mud he'd been spent hour's lying in.

The last thing he wanted to do was stop and talk to someone.

Every time he arrived home he prayed that he wouldn't bump in to anyone he knew. Occasionally it happened and usually it was either Tenten or Lee, who were used to how each other worked and so he didn't necessarily mind them seeing him with his hair stuck at unusual angle's or his skin caked in dirt and grime. But sometime's, strangely, it was Haruno Sakura. Before her horrific accident had occurred, his walk back to the compound crossed in front of her apartment and more often than not he either saw her from a distance or they bumped into each other in the street. He remembered how her face would light up and she would come running over, her hand waving and much to his dismay if he had just finished a mission. She would want to talk for what felt like an age and all the while in the back of his mind he would be wondering whether she could smell the sweat clinging to him like a second skin. He would keep his mouth shut and nod and smile at her, getting lost in her green eye's and vivid personality.

She was a bit of an enigma for him and he was totally and utterly fascinated by her.

She had saved his life in the war. He had been on the brink of death, throwing himself in front of Hinata and Naruto as a last ditch resort to save the only hope they had left at winning and fulfilling his duty as a Hyuuga branch member. But Sakura was there in a shot, her green chakra ebbing and pulsing through his body as she removed the shard's of wood and poured her life source into him. He remembered a hazy image of pink hair as his mind started to check out and his conscious darkened, but she had saved him that day and he would never truly be able to repay her for that.

He had been angry at first, angry for her taking that moment away for him. He had been ready to die, he had made that decision and it had been an impossible one to make. He tried to avoid her afterward's and it had taken him month's to properly thank her, only egged on after Hinata had wept into his arm's that the thought of loosing him almost sent her into a state of despair. He had sought her out after that and had had to stand awkwardly in front of her as he opened up for the first time in his life and laid his feelings bare. She had merely smiled at him sadly, reaching out and placing her hands on his cheek's as she spoke.

"We would of missed you Neji-san. Don't scare us like that again, ok? There are too many people here that care about you for you to die so willingly, so young."

Since then, he had made it his absolute priority to make sure himself and his team made it home from every mission alive.

A slow soft drizzle of summer rain was currently dampening the hidden leave village and as a result most civilian's were inside in the comfort of their own home's. It was early afternoon on a Monday and it seemed Neji had timed it just right to avoid almost anyone at all as he stalked through the empty street's. He glanced up at Sakura's apartment as he past, his keen eye's noticing her light's were off and there was no sign of life. She must be resting, he reasoned, then realising that his thoughts were bordering on 'stalkerish', as Tenten liked to call it, he focused on more important things, like a hot shower and toothpaste.

The white wall's of the Hyuuga compound slowly came into view and he welcomed the sight as he eagerly picked up the pace and headed for home. Since Hinata had taken mantel of the Hyuuga clan, she had given him his own private residence attached to the side of the branch clan's housing. He even had his own private garden as she knew he enjoyed the more serene area's of the Hyuuga garden's that lay on the other side of the compound and he wasn't always able or allowed to get to. It was a simple abode, one large living space with a step up to where his large king sized bed lay, a thin white curtain screening it from view. That was another thing she had gotten for him, understanding his need for the upmost comfort when he spent so long away from home on missions. There was a small well equipped kitchen off to the side and a bathroom shut off beside it. There were huge balcony door's that slid open onto a wooden terrace before step's led you down into the grassy expanse of his private garden's, laden with wild flowers, tall oak tree's and koi ponds.

God, he was looking forward to getting home.

She had also stripped him of all his unnecessary role's as a branch clan member, declaring that he had proven himself on more than one occasion and now deserved to live a life of moderate freedom. He was her advisor for personal affairs within the clan and also a prominent head within the war council, but apart from that he had no other duties besides that of serving the Hokage. It was strange at first, he wasn't really sure what to do with himself half the time and found himself more often than not seeking the company of his old team and then moving onto the rest of team twelve.

Which was how he had become so intrigued with the Haruno.

He thought back onto their first proper meeting after his sincere thanks after the war, slowing down to a stroll now as he walked alongside the Hyuuga wall's and down the pathway that led to his house. They had all been drinking in a local bar on the rare occasion that they were all free from work at the same time and so that obviously had to be celebrated. He had been sat next to the Nara, occasionally joining in conversation but for the most part keeping to himself and observing his surroundings. He had been jumped out of his staring by Sakura plopping down in the seat next to him. He blinked, unsure of what to do at her close proximity.

"Hey, Neji-san!" She smiled, scraping her hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. She was sweating from dancing with Ino and was obviously taking a well needed break judging by the brightly coloured cocktail sitting on the table in front of her. She leant forward and took a big sip from it, enjoying the cool sensation it had on her lip's.

He nodded his head. "Haruno."

"So, how've you been? I haven't seen you in age's!" She turned around in her seat to face him fully, her attention solely on him as she raised her eyebrows in anticipation of an answer.

He didn't think anyone had ever asked him that before.

The memory fading, he rolled his shoulders irritably as he turned into his gate, trudging over the wet grass as a dull ache settled in his lower back and he had a fleeting thought that perhaps his ripe old age of twenty six was starting catch up with him. He froze suddenly, his sense's tingling as he felt another chakra presence within his residence and he looked up quickly to see a mop of pink hair sat quietly on his terrace.

He blinked.

What on earth was Sakura doing at his house?

He glanced around awkwardly, not seeing any other chakra presence within reach, noticing vaguely that his cousin was on the other side of the compound. He turned his attention back to her, blinking again as if the simple act of closing his eye's would make her disappear and he could reason that he had just imagined it. But she didn't vanish into thin air like he thought and simply shifted her weight slightly before resuming her meditation. She hadn't noticed his presence yet and he wondered whether he could make it inside without her noticing, before quickly realising that was foolish as she was just as talented as himself.

He continued to stand in the rain, staring at her as he pondered on what on earth he was going to do next when she suddenly opened her eye's and looked up at him. He jumped slightly and his eye's widened a fraction as she caught his gaze. There was a moment of silence as they stared at each other before she smiled widely and waved at him.

"Ah, Neji-san! Your back!" She called out to him, before frowning. "Why are you standing in the rain?"

"Why are you meditating in my house?" Neji called backed to her, pushing his nerves down and resolving on banter.

"It's so much quieter here!" She smiled.

"Yes, quite. It's also trespassing." He deadpanned, starting to make his way over to her as the rain started to get heavier. He was torn between staying out where she wouldn't be able to see or smell him or being in the comfort of his warm, welcoming home. The decision wasn't a hard one; he had been rained on enough the past two weeks.

"I asked Hinata!" She said hurriedly, standing up to face him as she took his tone for meaning he was angry at her rather than the weather. "She said I couldn't use the main Hyuuga garden's to meditate for security reason's but that you wouldn't mind me using yours! I wasn't aware you would be back today and then it started raining so I thought it would be ok to just sit on the terrace here..." Her explanation rumbled off into silence as he finally stepped up and into the shelter of his home.

He smiled at her. "She was right, I don't mind. Stay as long as you like, but I do need to shower. Desperately." Before she could say another word he slid open the door and stepped in, dumping his bag down by his sofa he made an immediate bee-line for the bathroom and ignored everything else in his small abode; all he could think about was that dam hot, steaming water.

"Thank you!" Sakura called out to him as she peeked into his house just in time to see him disappear into the bathroom. She waited until the door was shut and the shower was running before she stuck her head in through the back door and got a quick look inside. Neji was rare creature for Sakura, despite them spending quite a bit of time together, she still felt the handsome man held a lot of secrets and unfortunately for him, Haruno's were nosy. She was taken aback by the size of the bed, frowning as she was unsure as to why it was necessary.

She stepped back and onto the balcony, deciding she had been nosy enough for one day and shut her eye's again to relax back into a meditative state. She had come to try and piece together some sort of apology to the young man on saving her life those few fateful months earlier. She wasn't sure where the confidence had come from, but after Hinata had settled her into her new room she soon learned that Neji's separate abode was just a stones throw away from her new home and the opportunity was just too much of a coincidence for her to ignore.

She jumped as a blanket was dropped around her shoulders and she turned to see Neji take a seat next to her, now scrubbed clean and holding two steaming cups of peppermint tea. He also had a blanket around his shoulders, a pair of grey jogging bottoms hanging loose around his hips and a white baggy t-shirt thrown over the top. He kept his gaze forward and sipped from his tea, cupping it in his hands to warm his fingers.

"Thank you..." She murmured, as she dipped her head shyly.

"You shouldn't stay out here much longer, it's getting cold." He murmured back quietly. She blinked, unsure whether he was subtly asking her to leave or not; he _had_ just come back from a long mission, in all fairness.

She sipped her tea. "I'm sorry, I'll go now! Your probably exhausted from your mission..." She rambled off, placing her cup next to her and shifting to stand. Her plans to apologise completely smattered.

Neji's eye's widened a fraction at her sudden departure. "No, its ok. You can stay." He said, his free hand reaching out slightly to grab her's, before retreating quickly after second thought. "I don't mind..." He smiled gently, trailing off as he left the offer open for her.

She nodded, smiling warmly as she sat back down and turned her attention on the gardens as she watched the rain fall, it's drops hitting the leaves with a satisfying pitter patter that had a soothing effect on her mood.

"Can I ask you something?"

She turned to him, the answer written all over her face as she waited for him to carry on.

"Why are you here?"

The question hung in the air around them for a brief moment as Sakura's mouth opened and closed as she tried to come up with an answer. She had no idea whether he knew or not that she had been moved in to the Hyuuga compound until further notice whilst she tried to get better. When Kakashi had told her of this she made no complaints. In fact, she was looking forward to the company, the feeling of safety she so often got around the man sat in front of her and also the opportunity to help Hinata dig into the clan's past. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the decision hadn't been a hard one to make and she had been moved in within two days of saying yes.

"Oh! Hinata said I could meditate-"

"No. I mean, why are you _here?"_ He gestured around himself at the compound, his question quite clearly meant on broader terms.

"Ah. No one's told you?"

He shook his head.

"Kakashi issued orders to have me moved here whilst I … _recover._ " She thought for a better word but none came so she settled with that.

He blinked, a look of mild shock plastered across his face as he analysed her tired features.

"I thought you were getting better?" The whispered tone to his voice made her eyes soften as he stared at her with a sympathetic snowy gaze.

"So did I." she smiled sadly, Tsunade's most recent diagnosis cutting through her like a knife.

"Whats happened -"

"Hyuuga Neji. Your presence is requested with the Hokage."

His question was cut off by Amaya's icy tone, her words a sharp edge that gave an abrupt stop to their conversation. Her mask was once again pushed off to the side and she was stood with her hands on her hips that jutted out. She only had half of her regulated Anbu uniform on which left her midriff on full view.

Sakura frowned slightly; this woman was incredibly rude.

Neji sighed. "Gomen, Sakura-san. Please feel free to stay and enjoy the rest of your tea." He nodded at her before standing.

Amaya was staring down at her. Her midnight blue gaze a piercing sword that usually cut through most opponents with ease, but she wasn't expecting to be met with a pair of fierce green eyes. The fire that dwelled within those orbs seemed to burn right through her confidence.

"You know," Sakura started, stopping both nin. "You are to wear you mask and uniform at all times. That includes when you address your _captain_ with the proper protocol of a subordinate."

Amaya smiled back sympathetically, "Neji has never told me otherwise. So I assume that it is ok."

Sakura smiled too, a sweet one that made the hairs on Neji's arms stand on end.

"I'm sure my Sensei would love to hear about that."

She was referring to Kakashi of course, and Amaya knew that as her jaw clenched and her muscles tightened. Kakashi was not necessarily merciful and she knew that he took into consideration _everything_ that Sakura had to say; it was her job to report back to him when his Ninja's were not working according to his rules. With a mumbled profanity she snapped her mask back in place and turned to storm away, her boots leaving muddy footprints across Neji's lawn.

Said man turned to her and gave her an approving look.

"There's the Sakura I know."

With that, he left. Trailing after one fuming woman and leaving behind an equally bewildered one.

Since when had his life become this confusing?

xox

R+R!


	4. Chapter 4: A Cry for Help

Thanks again for the lovely reviews and hello to any new followers, thanks for joining us :D Let's get straight onto the next chapter; hopefully my grammar is slightly better in this one. It's my kryptonite, I swear…

xox

Neji stared down at the scroll in his hands, shifting his weight to alleviate some of the discomfort that had gathered in his lower back from his most recent mission. He was still dressed in his grey jogging bottoms and white t-shirt and had only slipped on his sandals to come and meet the Hokage. He was sorely regretting not wearing a coat as goosebumps ran across his exposed skin. His eye's narrowed slightly as he read through his latest mission and he felt his jaw tighten as he raised his gaze and fixed it onto Kakashi's silver one.

The older man held it firmly, swinging back and forth slightly on his wheelie chair behind the large mahogany desk as he tried to gauge the Hyuuga's reaction. He had hoped Tsunade would be here as well to try and alleviate some of the tension but she had used some piss poor excuse and scurried away at the first chance she got; apparently she had dealt with Neji like this before. Now it was just the two of them and the testosterone was so high in the room you could almost smell it.

He swallowed his nerves, "I understand this is different to what I usually give you, but it is not your sole mission. Just something I would like for you to do alongside your other work. So, you _will_ still be out in the field." He smiled beneath his mask, his eye crinkling at the effort.

Neji shifted his weight again, the tip of the scroll rolling back in on itself at the movement. "How can I fulfil this mission brief when I'm not even in Konoha half of the time?"

Kakashi blinked, "Excuse me?"

"You say it's to work alongside my other missions, but at the moment I have only had a day or two off in between each task and have been gone for weeks at a time. How can I look after Sakura and track illegal working nin at the same time?"

 _Dam that blonde grandma -_ Kakashi inwardly swore as he feigned indifference at the Hyuuga's question. This was why Tsunade didn't want to be around when he broke the news to the young man; he saw through _every bloody flaw_ in a plan. He pinched his fingers across the bridge of his nose as he tried to think through what on earth he was going to do.

"Look, there will be a drop in the amount of missions you will get sent on out in the field," He started matter of factly. "But this is just as important." Kakashi gestured to the scroll Neji held in his hand.

"I understand, Hokage-sama." He bowed briefly, accepting the older mans response.

Kakashi blinked again, his eye widening slightly, "Wow, this was easier than I thought it would be..."

Neji merely shrugged, "Protecting Sakura on your behalf would be an honour. Despite what everyone thinks, I do care for her as well. We are all friends, after all." He added as an after thought, frowning slightly as if he wasn't sure himself where the words had come from either.

Kakashi raised a hand and covered his mask as he smiled lightly. It had been his idea to write the mission briefing as if Neji was protecting Sakura on Kakashi's behalf because she was still at risk from being attacked whilst Anbu carried on trying to figure out who had orchestrated her kidnapping in the first place. He couldn't wait to tell Naruto; the boy would love this little trick for when he takes the mantle. He turned his attention back to Neji and smiled again, shutting his good eye this time in what he hoped was his best warming grin.

"Well, you are the best we have!"

"Forgive me for asking, but what will my team be doing whilst I'm-" The word _babysitting_ ran through Neji's mind but he thought better of it, "-protecting Sakura?"

"They will be sent on separate missions of their own. The yearly reviews are around the corner for Anbu so I thought it would be a good opportunity to stretch their legs and see how they fair without you as captain." An easy excuse that rolled off the tongue, Kakashi thought.

Neji nodded. "That sounds fair. If there isn't anything else?" Neji let the question trail off as he tried to take his leave.

Kakashi nodded. "You are dismissed. This mission starts immediately, Hyuuga-san. When I need you for other work, I will send for you, but for now please do enjoy some time off. Have a lie in, maybe?"

Neji dismissed that last comment with a wave of his hand, "Never heard of such a thing." A knowing smile tugged at his lips as he eyed the older man carefully before turning to leave.

"Oh and Kakashi?"

The older man raised his head to answer, the lack of formalities rolling off his shoulders as smoothly as a summer breeze. "Yes, Neji-san?"

"Thank you for the opportunity to spend some time in Konoha. It will be good to see everyone again."

With that last comment, the young man left, closing the large wooden door behind him quietly. Kakashi sighed, his nerves settling as the deed was done and he knew that for at least a little while Sakura would not only be safe but also subconsciously be getting the help that she so desperately needs. Neji's last comment hung in the air around him though and with a concerned frown he pulled Neji's rota from beneath the pile of scrolls on his desk and felt the colour drain from his face as he noticed the amount of red x's that littered its surface and indicated how often he had been away in the last few months.

Kakashi had worked him to the bone and the poor man hadn't even complained once.

He growled in irritation, not at Neji but at himself. He needed to start distributing work more fairly and now with Neji's Anbu team temporarily dispersed due to the captains latest mission, he had four available Anbu that could take on more work and alleviate some of Konoha's top ranking nin. He grabbed his marker and began making notes.

"Shizune?" He called softly, waiting until the soft pitter patter of her feet indicated her presence. He pointed to the pile of Anbu rota that sat on the corner of his desk. "Care to help an old man sort through this mess?"

Her sympathetic smile and nod of approval was all he needed as she pulled up a chair and began to rifle through the papers.

He sighed; it was going to be a long afternoon.

xox

 _Elated_ did not even cover it.

Neji had never felt such relief in all his working life. He wasn't sure whether Kakashi had been aware of how long and hard he had been working him but suddenly all of that didn't matter as he shut the door behind him and let out a sigh of pure, unadulterated _release_. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he realised that he suddenly had a chance to spend time with Gai-sensei, who had been giving him hell for not going to visit since his accident. He could train with Lee and Tenten again and actually enjoy life, instead of spending his days trudging through mud, sleeping under the stars and eating lukewarm noodles from a plastic cup. He shook his head and smiled again as he made his way down the hallway and through the open door of the Hokage tower, relishing in the soft rain that littered his shoulders as he made his way back to the compound. He'd have to shower again when he got home but he suddenly realised he didn't care as it dawned on him he had the rest of the day to worry about that.

Time, it seemed, was a rare gift and one that he had just been given.

He would take it any day, he realised greedily.

His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar figure filled his vision.

"Whats with the stupid grin?" Amaya asked, her feline eye's dancing over his face.

Neji's features fell back into place as he masked his emotions with practised ease and turned to move past her. "New mission. Classified, I'm afraid."

"Anything to do with that _pink haired_ woman we rescued?"

To anyone else, it would have seemed like such an innocent question. But Neji caught the icy tone in her voice and the way she deliberately avoided using Sakura's name even though she knew it full well. He also picked on the fact that she had used Sakura's trademark blossom coloured hair like it was an insult, which made the hairs on Neji's skin stand on end. He turned to face her fully, his snowy white eye's piercing her gaze so fiercely that she had look away, shifting her weight slightly in awkwardness as she realised that she had hit a nerve.

"You _do not_ make fun of my friends in my presence." He started, "I am still your captain, out in the field or within these wall's."

She nodded.

"I am your captain and you are my subordinate and it will stay that way. Do you understand?"

She nodded again, rolling her eye's as she tried to make light of the situation. "I was just joking-"

"No, Amaya." Neji interrupted. "I said, do you _understand?_ "

He said the last part softly and he felt almost guilty as he watched the hope drop from her eye's as she furrowed her brow and frowned up at him. It was such a shame that he had to do this, but she had left him no choice as her romantic advances were not only totally inappropriate but also entirely misplaced; he would never have reciprocated them anyway. He hoped that she wouldn't take it too personally and lash out at him like she usually does with her fiery temper, but he was shocked when she lifted her head and her midnight eye's were dull and rimmed with tears.

" _Understood_ , captain."

With that she left, jumping up onto the nearest building and bounding away. Neji growled in annoyance as he pinched his eyes shut and turned his head to the sky, letting the rain soak up his now foul mood. She had _shit_ all over his emotional high and left him tired and worn. With a yawn he turned back on course and headed for home, a vision of green eyes and pink hair now all he thought about as he clutched his latest mission scroll within the confines of his pocket.

He would deal with Amaya later, first he needed sleep.

xox

Unfortunately, Neji's dreams of his head hitting the pillow as soon as he got home were sorely compromised as he spotted his cousin sprinting down the Hyuuga pathway towards him. He was about to berate her for dragging her formal dress through the mud and getting herself soaked in the rain when he suddenly saw the frantic look in her wide silver eye's.

"What is it?" He snapped, running forwards and catching her arms as she panted, not out of breath but out of sheer _panic._

"It's _Sakura_!" She spluttered. "Please tell me that _bloody_ Hokage gave you the mission already-"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence as he sprinted past her, his wooden sandals splintering at the effort as he splashed across the now muddy grass of his private gardens and scaled the small wall that separated his compound to the main. He skidded to a stop, his eye's widening in shock at the sight before him.

Sakura's screams were muffled by the grass as a rough hand pushed her head further down. She was writing beneath the weight of four nin; Hanabi, Ino, Tenten and Naruto were all trying to hold her down as she slipped in and out of what appeared to be visions. It was like watching an animal _relishing_ in its wild side as she tried to escape their iron fist grips. With every heave of her body she sent them all sprawling, her chakra spiking viciously as she used her superhuman strength against them, only to be flattened down by them again once they had recovered.

Her hair was matted and soaking wet from the rain, her clothes caked in dirt and mud as she rolled around beneath her friends who were frantically trying to pull her out of her current state. She threw a chakra laden punch in Naruto's direction, which he expertly dodged before catching her fist in his own and twisting her arm behind her back and throwing her to her knee's. Hanabi was clutching her face, dragging her nails across the skin of her cheeks as she shouted over the now roaring weather to _just look at her and focus,_ but emerald eye's seemingly gazed through her and to a world beyond that _none_ of them could ever see. A moment of calm descended as Sakura simply stared, before her face scrunched up again and she leant forwards and let out a scream that made Neji's bones vibrate and his teeth chatter.

God's, he could practically _smell_ the fear rippling off of her.

"Are you going to just _stand there_ and gape like one of you're _fucking_ koi in that _dam stupid_ pond of yours, or are you going to actually _help us?_ " Tenten seethed at him through gritted teeth, the hellcat in her out in full force.

He took a step forwards to help them restrain her at the sheer ice in Tenten's voice when another strangled cry escaped Sakura and all heads now turned back to her. She was on her knee's rocking back and forth slightly with her head buried in her hands as she all but sobbed, the tears getting lost within the rivulets of rain that streaked across the dirt marring her skin.

 _"Neji!"_ She cried, her throat almost tearing at the effort. " _Help me, please!_ "

She was sobbing, her chest heaving as she desperately sucked in air with each whispered plea for his help. Tenten was in front of her now, taking the opportunity to try and restrain her again but approaching carefully and whispering words of comfort to try and help calm the frantic woman down. Her advances were stopped by a large hand on her shoulder and she turned to look up at Neji as he pushed her aside gently and bent down onto his heels directly in front of Sakura. With his elbows resting on his knees and his hands falling between his legs, he waited until her emerald orbs lifted again in his direction and before she could open her mouth to scream again, he interrupted.

"Sakura."

Everything stopped in that moment.

A hushed silence echoed through the garden as everyone held their breath and watched in amazement as Sakura's shoulders sagged and her laboured breathing started to calm down. Her hands were still clutched to her chest as she frowned in confusion, the clouded vision disappearing from her eyes to reveal bright green orbs that stared at Neji with such raw emotion that he almost choked on a broken heart. The only noise that interrupted the moment was the soft pitter patter of rain on the foliage behind them, it's repetitive nature helping to soothe the growing nervous tension that had descended in the air around them.

"... _Neji_?" She asked tentatively, as if unsure whether her mind was still playing tricks on her or not.

He nodded, but instead of smiling he held his hands out to her and she fell onto his chest in a crumpled mess as she started to sob again. This time, however, it was from pure _relief_ instead of fear. Her mumbled apologies didn't go unnoticed and Neji watched as Ino turned her head away and wiped the tears that were now streaking down her cheeks too. Tenten was sat next him on her knee's, panting heavily as if the sheer effort of fighting against such raw, animalistic strength had drained her completely, She was staring at Sakura with a confused expression, her brown orbs trying to process everything that had just happened but not fully understanding it. He lifted his head to meet Hinata's and Naruto's gaze's, watching as his cousin gave him an almost invisible nod of thanks, her hand tightly gripping her husbands.

Neji's grip tightened on Sakura in turn as she cried into his chest, her small hands gripping the fabric of his shirt so tightly he was surprised it hadn't ripped.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and scooped her up, making his way towards the decking that led into her private rooms, everyone following behind him quietly. He lay her down on the bed and tucked her under the sheets, sending Hanabi to retrieve a nurse to help them clean her up. He turned to the group that now stood behind him and marred his features into a frown, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Kakashi failed to mention _this,_ to me."

xoxo

The Hokage cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably as he sat beneath the stares of five very unhappy nin. He glanced up at Naruto for help only to see his blue orbs sharp with rage. His eye's widened slightly as he glanced back down at the table like a child being scolded by its parents.

"How did you _not_ know about this?" Tenten questioned Neji, her eyebrows frowning. "You must have noticed when she was unconscious on the way back to Konoha?"

Neji turned glaring white orbs to her, his piercing gaze making her flinch involuntarily. "I've already told you, Tenten. _She did_ , but no one told me she was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and was somehow associating _me_ with _safety_!" He was shouting now, his voice a hiss through gritted teeth.

His patience had all but run out.

"Enough!" Kakashi barked. "I was going to inform you, Neji-san. But the first thing we needed to establish was a stable environment for Sakura. It seems both myself and Tsunade may have misjudged the situation, however, and I apologise on behalf of both of us for that error."

A silence echoed through the room, Neji's pale orbs watching Kakashi from the corner of his eyes.

"I am not a _babysitter._ " He said, finally releasing what he had wanted to say this whole dam time.

"No, you are not. But you are a loyal member of Anbu and this village, which means you will obey any mission I assign to you."

"The mission you assigned me was _false!"_ Neji's hand slammed down onto the table as he stood. " _You assigned me a mission to protect!"_ Kakashi moved to stand and defend his decision when his vision was blocked by orange. Naruto's chakra spiked in warning towards the Hyuuga man, its orange glow illuminating the dark corners of the room as night crept in. "Stand down." He hissed.

"Neji," Kakashi started, placing a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder as he pushed him back. "You thanked me earlier today. For giving you some time in Konoha again to see everyone, correct?"

The room fell silent as all eyes fell to the Anbu captain whose cheeks were now tinged a slight pink as Kakashi revealed his real emotions at being allowed to stay home and off the field. He blinked, turning his head away as he nodded mutely.

"This will still allow you to do that." Kakashi tapped the top of the original mission scroll he had given Neji.

The man sighed audibly, "That's not the _point._ "

"Then what is-"

"Assign him a new mission."

Kakashi's exasperated argument with Neji was cut short by Hinata as she stepped into the light of the table lamps from where she had been lingering in the shadows, a silent watcher to their debate. He eyed her carefully; she had become rather calculating recently as he wasn't sure whether he liked that side of her or not.

She was up to something.

 _"Excuse me?"_

Her purple eyebrows raised slightly. "Assign him a new mission. The point you have missed, Hokage-same, is that Neji-nii-san does not care what mission you assign him as long as it is not assigned under false pretences."

Kakashi turned to Neji for acknowledgement only to see him nod in agreement.

"Assign him a new mission stating he must look after Sakura for however long it takes her to get better and The Hyuuga Clan will see it done."

 _"Nani?"_ Neji jumped up, "Cousin _please_ , I'm not a babysitter-"

"So you've said." She replied, interrupting him into silence.

"Hinata, _please!"_ Neji moved towards her but stopped at the sharp look she gave him.

"You would defy your clan head?" She asked, a thick tension now descending across the room. "You may have been stripped of your branch member duties, Neji, but do not step too far over that line. You are still to follow orders from your Hokage. " She warned. She took Neji's silence as his approval before turning her head back to Kakashi. "Do we have an agreement?"

Kakashi hesitated, eyeing Neji warily as he toyed with the idea of loosing his respect and loyalty, but then an image of Sakura flashed through his mind as he saw her pale skin and shaking frame as she slept fitfully under his careful watch that same afternoon. She had looked so scared and vulnerable that the decision suddenly became easy as he nodded at the purple haired woman across from him.

"Here." Tenten fished around in her belt before producing a scroll and ink from one of her many storage scrolls. "May as well do it right now." She pushed it across the table towards Kakashi, sending a glare towards Neji before she marched to the closed doors. "If we're done here, I'll check on Sakura and take my leave. I need to get away from this _shitty_ atmosphere." She gestured to the room.

Without waiting for confirmation, the door slammed shut behind her.

Hanabi let out a low whistle, "She's feisty."

Kakashi snorted. "Try sending her on missions. She kills the bloody fools even If I don't tell her too."

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto pointed to the empty scroll, gently reminding him to complete his task.

"Right..."

He picked up the brush and dipped the end in ink, willing his fingers to move as he began to draft out a new mission for Neji. It was only the bare bones of what he would usually write and his spelling was only just eligible due to him rushing through it as quickly as possible, but it would do and he stamped it with his seal of approval, a sigh escaping his masked lips as he rolled it shut and handed it to Neji.

The Anbu captains jaw was clenched tightly shut as he took the scroll from Kakashi's hand and stormed out of the shoji doors and into the Hyuuga gardens, making his way back through the rain to his separate abode.

"What are you up to?" Kakashi asked Hinata, his voice laden with tease.

She smiled innocently, "Nothing but fulfilling my duties as clan head." She turned to the doors, "Come Hanabi, Naruto-kun. I think dinner will be ready. Would you like to join us Kakashi, Ino?"

The blonde shook her head politely declining, "I need to get back. Sai will be worried. Thank you though." She nodded as she past her. "You'll look after her, right?"

Hinata placed a warm hand on Ino's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Without a doubt." She smiled.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei. You're coming right?" Naruto asked over his shoulder, his eager smile making it all the more difficult for the older nin to turn down.

"Gomen, but I still have some work to do at the office." His eye crinkled as he smiled apologetically.

"Some time soon, then." Hinata smiled, dragging Naruto with her as he protested.

With a wave of his hand, the door was shut behind them and Kakashi was once again left alone and to his thoughts. He stared at the wooden grain of the table in front of him, the garden doors had been left open from Neji's abrupt exit and a cold chill swept throughout the room as the rain continued to pour down outside under the now watchful eye of the moon. Winter was coming, Kakashi thought miserably as he noted how dark it gotten and it was only dinner time. He should have left to go by now but his tired mind and aching limbs from long hours sat at that _dam_ desk seemed to root him to the spot. His shoulders felt heavy with the weight of the world and he realised, begrudgingly, that it wasn't going to alleviate any time soon.

With a final sigh, he leant forwards on his elbows and dropped his head into his hands.

Being Hokage sucked.

xox

Neji stormed through the gardens, his shoulders shoving branches and large exotic plants out of the way as the rain soaked through his white T-shirt and made it stick to his skin like leather. His hair that he had thrown into a high ponytail for his meeting with Kakashi had come loose and a few stray hairs were stuck to the sides of his face. He was practically steaming with barely suppressed anger. He had to hit something, he needed to release _something_ to get rid of the rage boiling underneath the surface. He reached an open expanse of grass within a more secluded area of the gardens and with a roar he slammed his fist into the ground. It splintered on impact, his chakra rippling through its surface before coming to rest by the foliage, it's lasting effects causing their leaves to shudder and release the rain drops they had been hiding. His breathing came in pants as he stared down at the small crater in the ground he would no doubt have to clean up later.

"Neji-kun?"

He whirled, his eyes catching green as he faced the one woman who was at the root of all of this.

He immediately softened.

"Did I wake you?" He asked, barely above a whisper, taking a step forwards slightly as he noticed her fragile frame.

It turns out that small expanse of grass he had just damaged was the small bit of garden that extended off of the porch to Sakura's private rooms. She was stood on one of the steps to the decking, a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders and her arms clutching the wooden support beam next to her as she used to hold her weight up. She was weak, Neji realised. Her hair was ruffled from a fitful sleep and there were dark bags under her eyes that looked like bruises against the pale of her skin. Her chakra was still spiking, he noted quietly and her muscles seemed to spasm in response.

He frowned. "Are you ok?"

"Actually," She started, moving down a step awkwardly towards him. "I was looking for you."

It was strange, how he was feeling at that moment. So confused and conflicted, his emotions all over the place. Here was a close friend of his so _desperately_ in need of his help and yet his male pride was bursting in anger at being made to stay home and look after her whilst she fought against her mental battle, when he _should_ be out in the field hunting dangerous missing nin and tracking drug lords; jobs that only the highest ranking Anbu were assigned. He was one of the best ninja in the whole of Konoha and a highly respected Anbu captain and yet here he was, his heart tugging him forwards towards this broken woman as he felt a duty to help her, to protect her.

He sighed. Dam, male ego.

"I wanted to say sorry."

He blinked at her, unsure of how he should react.

"For earlier." She looked away, her bangs covering her eyes. "I lost it a bit and I'm sorry for causing everyone so much hassle."

A silence echoed across the grass, rolling off of Neji's shoulders uncomfortably.

"But, thank you. For helping me. You didn't have to do that."

He stepped forwards, reaching out and taking one her arms in his large hands and helping to support her weight. He nodded down at her, drops of rain from his hair and face now falling onto the exposed skin of her arms.

"Yes, I did."

She offered him up a weak smile before her chakra spiked angrily again and she spasmed against it, her eyes shutting in discomfort as she grunted and grit her teeth. She sagged into him slightly and he frowned again as he quietly activated his byuukagen and studied her chakra pathways. He brought his hands to her shoulders and pushed her so that she stood up right in front of him, his eye's studying the contours of her tired face as he watched her chakra spiral in on itself.

He gave her a half hearted smile, "Your chakra is angry at you, it seems."

She smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood but winced again when her chakra pathways strained inside of her. "It hurt's."

He frowned sympathetically at her whimper before gathering some chakra into the pad of his thumb and pressing it gently the centre of her forehead. Honestly, he didn't know why everyone made fun of her for it; it wasn't _that_ big.

"What are you do-"

"Soothing your chakra." Neji interrupted. "Byuukagen has many other abilities besides being used in battle."

He watched as she visibly sighed in relief as his cooling chakra seeped into her own and smoothed out its contours and harsh edges. He concentrated his energy on her tenketsu points and left some of his chakra there to help her sleep tonight. It would last until morning most probably and then hopefully by then she would be back to normal anyway.

"That will help for now." He murmured, suddenly aware of their close proximity as he continued to help support her weight. "But it will fade on its own. You should be ok by tomorrow."

"Arigatou. Your too kind." She smiled up at her, her eyes lidded as tiredness swept over her again. "I think I'll retire again now. Hinata said she'd bring dinner by soon."

Neji nodded, watching as she removed herself from his grip and slowly made her way back up the steps and into the warmth of her room. She turned back to him one final time as she gave him a small smile and a wave of her hand before the door shut behind her and she collapsed into the thick blankets of her bed.

He released a breath he'd been holding in, his shoulders relaxing slightly as all of his previous anger seemed to off dissipated into thin air. Yes, he was a highly skilled assassin whose talents had been used ruthlessly over the past year or two and as much as he enjoyed his time spent out on the field fulfilling his duty as a protector of Konoha, the selfish part of him was now relishing in the opportunity to stay home and spend some time in the village he so dearly loved.

If looking after Sakura was the key to making that happen, then so be it.

xox

R+R!


	5. Chapter 5: Drowning

So sorry for the late update! But it's here now so thats all that matters, eh?

I hope you enjoy!

xox

Sakura stared at the soft droplets of rain that showered across the grassy lawn of her small back garden space she had been so graciously given by the Hyuuga's. The small crater from Neji's outburst last night still lay open in the centre and she couldn't help but wonder at his chakra control; she would have to ask him how he learnt to be so precise as often times when she released her chakra she would destroy the training grounds in one hit. The weather had calmed over night and was now merely a grey drizzle over the still sleeping Konoha. It was early morning, just after dawn and she was enjoying some peace and quiet as she sipped at her green tea and huddled the blanket closer.

She was sat on the step of her decking, the door of her bedroom open behind her as she tried to get some air to circulate around the space. She had woken up hot and stuffy underneath layers of blankets and had desperately clawed her way outside to try and clear her head. Her chakra had cooled back down to a relatively normal state and she was left sore and aching, the occasional twitch still attacking her limbs as she rested her head against the wooden pillar to her left and continued to watch the weather plague its surroundings. Konoha's summer was a strange season, so violent and unexpected that it made it impossible to plan anything. She sighed, shutting her eyes briefly as she enjoyed the peace that settled across her body.

She tried _not_ to think about what happened last night.

Feeling sorry for herself was not an option, she had to try and start pulling herself together. Post traumatic stress disorder would _not_ be the end of he. She knew she could fight it and come out the other side but she also knew that it would be an arduous and long journey that would almost certainly drag her down to her lowest point. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts. The visions were the worst of it all, or flashbacks as Tsunade liked to call them. They were her memories coming back to her but extremely sudden and so traumatic that her mind was trying to block them out again, causing her to hallucinate in and out of reality.

It was truly terrifying.

 _Because she didn't want to remember._

She didn't want to see the face of the man who stripped her of her clothes and dignity, she didn't want to see him hovering over her, torturing her for information. But what scared her the most was whether or not she had cracked. _Had she told them what they wanted?_ They were dead now thanks to Neji, but that still didn't stop her mind from wandering whether she truly was a loyal ninja of Konoha. She shifted in discomfort, the thought making her squirm until she had to stand to give her limbs something to do. She stretched, feeling relatively relaxed as she padded her way back into her room and grabbed her silk dressing gown off the back of her door, tying it tightly around her waist and concealing her pyjama's as she exited her room and made her way to the kitchen.

She yawned behind cupped hands as she trod quietly through the hallways, careful not to wake anyone and confident in the fact she wasn't going to bump into any one of importance that would fluster at seeing her so casually dressed. Her slippers lifted slightly and she frowned, fidgeting with them with her toes as she neared the kitchen entrance. She stopped when she heard voices, slowing her steps down to silent footfalls only to relax once again when she instantly recognised the sounds of Naruto and Kakashi.

"-not telling her."

"Well, It's not going to be me."

"You're the Hokage! _It's your bloody duty!"_

"Language. I don't think we should tell her anyway." Kakashi sniffed.

"She will find out sooner or later. _Trust me_ , the latter will not end well."

The knowing tone in Naruto's voice made Sakura's jaw clench so she swung the door open and watched satisfied as they both jumped in surprise.

"Tell me what?"

Silence greeted her and she made her way around the large kitchen space and placed her cup in the sink. She turned back to them, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at them both, pinning them down with dark forest orbs. They fidgeted under her intense gaze, Naruto rubbing the back of his head shyly as he grinned whilst Kakashi merely glanced away, his silver gaze finding the view from the large windows to his right and fixating on it.

"Well," She asked impatiently, feeling her stress free mind slowly start to dissipate as paranoia crept its way in; they were keeping something from her.

"Look, theres something you need to know." Naruto started, "We decided to-"

"-make Shizune head medic at the hospital for the time being. Naruto is going to assist me instead as he needs the training and we thought whilst you're here recovering Shizune would be the best fit to take your place until your up to it again." Kakashi interrupted, his eye crinkling as he smiled beneath his mask.

 _"I'm assisting, am I?"_ Naruto hissed, his hand gripping Kakashi's arm out of view so tightly the elder was almost certain he nearly broke a bone.

"Oh." Sakura's arms dropped to her side, her defensive stance loosening back into its natural gate. "Good choice," She nodded, "She knows what she's doing."

The mention of the hospital and her old job made her frown as she realised what her life had become now; she was technically classed as medically unfit to work, which made her self-sympathy rise in droves so much so that she completely ignored Naruto and Kakashi's concerned stares as the padded around the large island in the middle of the kitchen and back to the door. It was just about to swing shut behind her when their voices penetrated her senses.

"Are you ok? Sakura-chan?"

Naruto's old nickname for her made her heart leap and she gave him her best smile as she turned to face them, "Yes. Just need to sleep again, I think."

Kakashi sighed noiselessly, watching her go. He waited until he was sure she was back in her rooms before turning his head to meet Naruto's angry glare.

"We were supposed to tell her about _Neji._ " He deadpanned, pointing an accusing finger at the older man.

Kakashi shrugged, "Knowing that I've assigned Neji to look after her will make no difference to her at the moment. She needs to focus on getting better and not the logistics of how we're going to make that happen."

"And what am I supposed to tell Hinata?!" Naruto groaned, letting his head fall into his hands as he leant forwards onto the kitchen counter, "I'm supposed to be helping her with the clan."

"You're the heir to my title now, Naruto. She knew the day would come that you would have to start training for Hokage. Whats the harm in it being a little early?" He smiled again, his eye shutting slightly at the effort as he watched Naruto grumble about female hormones, but in the back of his mind a margin of regret began to grow and he couldn't help his eyes from wandering to the door that Sakura had exited through as he realised that he perhaps should have told her about the Hyuuga boy after all.

On second thought, he'd worry about that later.

xox

Neji stared at the thin cotton sheet that covered the ceiling above his bed, it's centre dipping before it's corners were pulled up and attached the top wooden corners of his bed. A soft breeze blew in through the now open balcony doors opposite him and he sighed softly as he enjoyed it's soothing motion across the exposed skin of his chest. He was currently lounging in under the sheets, making the most of his 'time off' and enjoying a moment of peace in his otherwise busy life. He resented his most recent assignment from the Hokage, the mission scroll lay forgotten on his bedside table, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the pink haired woman that currently inhabited the rooms next to him. He had been there when she had broken and e felt somewhat responsible for putting the pieces back together again. He frowned at the thought, _since when was she his responsibility?_

Well, she was now thanks to Kakashi.

A loud female laugh followed by a string of profanities interrupted his peaceful slumber and he sighed as he recognised the high pitched voice of Ino. He growled in annoyance, suddenly realising that having some time off to look after Sakura wouldn't necessarily be a peaceful venture as she tended to hang out with the more noisy members of their group of friends, his old teammate Lee was included in that list. With another grumble he threw the covers back and trudged to the bathroom, deciding that he should start his latest mission and check on Sakura before he had breakfast.

The steam from the shower poured through the bathroom door as he swung it open and padded over to his wardrobe, grabbing a clean pair of grey jogging bottoms and a white t-shirt to throw on top. He quickly wrapped some bandages around the curse mark on his forehead, his fingers unintentionally tying the fabric with a sharp tug as he momentarily regretted glancing at the green piece of crap in the mirror. He threw his hair back into a high ponytail, letting a few strands fall free as he slipped on his sandals and stepped out into the rainy morning.

He heard the women before he saw them and he took a mental moment to gather himself before he hopped up and over the dividing wall and landed on the flat expanse of grass outside Sakura's abode.

"-and then I was like _\- bloody hell Neji!"_ Ino screeched, her hand clutching the fabric of her chest. "You wanna give us a _warning_ next time?"

He raised an eyebrow, rising from his crouch to approach the startled woman, "It seem's working in the flower shop has dulled your senses, Ino."

She scoffed, waving a manicured hand at him, "I can still take you."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he padded across the grass and spotted Sakura sat on the decking of her porch, a blanket slung loosely around her shoulders and a cup of peppermint tea clutched in her hands; a familiar sight to see her in nowadays it seemed.

Her smile warmed him to his bones, "Good morning, Neji-san."

He nodded, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks to you! Although I think my chakra is still a bit on edge-"

The pad of his thumb was already pressed against her forehead before he had a chance to even think. She seemed just as startled as him as her explanation trailed off into nothing and she stared up at him with large forest green eyes that sat either side of his hand that was currently channeling a small amount of his own chakra into her pathways to soothe it again. She shut her eye's briefly as a small amount of relief washed through her and cooled the slight burning of her skin that had been bothering her since she woke that morning. She glanced up at him again through thick lashes and smiled again, feeling her rising anxiety settle slightly at the intense snowy gaze.

She wondered if the Hyuuga's were aware of how much emotion shone through their eyes?

"Arigatou..." She murmured.

"Hey Neji-san!" Ino called, taking cover under the decking from where she'd been standing in the rain over the open crater he had made last night, inspecting it no doubt. "How do we fix this?"

It was a genuine question and Neji had learnt over the years that Ino was never being rude, just blunt apparently. He sighed, "I'll fix it this morning for you. I just need to get some turf from the Gardner."

Sakura blinked, "Are you not on another mission?"

Neji was about to open his mouth to reply when Ino interrupted.

"Neji lets go! I'll help you get the turf and may even show off a few of my new moves I've been practicing on the training grounds!" She grabbed his elbow and started moving him away and further into the gardens, "Tenten's taught me a few new tricks!" She winked, "We'll be back Sakura!" She called over her shoulder, not giving him a moment more as she tugged him behind the nearest tree and shushed at him to be quiet.

Neji stared down at her in mild shock, "What on _earth_ is happening?"

 _"You can't tell Sakura about the mission Kakashi gave you!"_ She hissed, checking over his shoulder to make sure Sakura wasn't listening.

"What?" Neji frowned, growing agitated with her early morning shenanigans. "Ino what are you talking abo-"

"The missions to help Sakura get better because she's associating you with feeling safe _blah blah blah,_ " She waved off the explanation like he knew it all already, "You cant tell her. Kakashi's asked us to keep it a secret for now until she's better."

"Why on earth would he do that?" He growled, wincing as she smacked his shoulder and told him to keep his voice down.

"Because she's _stubborn!"_ She hissed back, "In case you haven't noticed! She'll push the help away and never get herself better." She sighed, rubbing her temples briefly and for the first time in a long time he saw the panic in her cerulean blue eyes.

He frowned, thinking back on their conversation, "Hold on. She's associating me with feeling safe?"

"Don't go off topic Neji, for gods sake." She huffed.

He called her bluff, "How is that _off_ topic?"

"Bah, never mind." She scoffed, waving a hand at him before she grabbed his arm again and dragged him back through the bushes towards Sakura.

"Ah dam!" She started, throwing her arms up in the air with mock frustration. "Looks like the Gardner is off sick today so no clean cut grass for you!" She laughed, wagging a finger in Sakura's direction.

An awkward silence descended across the open space as one of the Hyuuga's designated gardeners stopped half way bent over the crater, a roll of turf in hand and his tools laying quietly at his side. He blinked at Ino in confusion before turning his gaze back to Sakura who merely shrugged in response.

"Don't look at me she's the crazy one." Sakura gestured to the blonde.

"Er..." Ino stammered, her cheeks flushing pink as she was caught red handed. "When did you get here?!" She laughed, fanning a hand as she stormed around him and to Sakura's side. "Seriously though, _when did he get here?"_ She hissed under her breath.

Sakura gave Ino a knowing smile, "I called him earlier. I thought I would play along with your little game to see how far I got. A personal best for me I think."

"Game?" Ino turned back to Neji who was now knelt with the gardener and helping him level out the gaping hole in the ground. He pretended to not hear her and kept his head down, his opaque eye's wide with confusion.

"What were you two whispering about?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow, her question hanging limp in the drizzly morning air.

"We were actually discussing a mission briefing that-" Ino hesitated in her explanation, "I am taking on for Neji."

Sakura's tea spluttered across the open space ahead of her as she coughed and choked back a laugh of shock. "What?!"

"Why is that so funny?" Ino huffed, jutting her hip out and placing her palms on either side.

Sakura immediately straightened, concealing her muffled laughs, "Oh, nothing. It's just, you haven't been out in the field in so long I assumed you had settled into running the shop and training?"

Neji kept his face down to try and hide his own bubble of laughter that had come out of no where and was currently lodged in the back of his throat causing him to cough slightly to relieve it. The gardener gave him a quick look at the strange noise before going back to his digging. The idea that Ino was even remotely capable of taking on Neji's work was so unfathomable that even Neji couldn't help but find it amusing; it was rather unlike him to poke fun at someone else besides Kiba. He glanced up at both women to see them watching him and he immediately removed his smile into its usual placid mask.

"Something funny Neji," Ino raised an eyebrow, shooting him a knowing look.

"Nothing. I just ... remembered something," He inwardly winced at the pathetic excuse.

"What on earth is all this racket about?"

All heads turned to spot Hinata crossing Sakura's room and stepping out on to the decking behind the pink haired nin. She was dressed head to toe in traditional Hyuuga clothing for the head of the clan and despite the folds of fabric that rolled off her limbs in droves, she moved with such poise and grace that her approach had been completely concealed to them all. She placed a warm hand on Sakura's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry, was Ino being too loud?" Sakura asked, receiving a light smack on the arm from the blonde.

"Oh, no I'm just joking," Hinata smiled, giggling softly behind her hands, "Naruto says I'm getting better at sarcasm!"

"Well, he's lying." Ino sniffed.

"I just came to see if you wanted to help me arrange the flowers for the party we are holding later this evening, Sakura?" Hinata smiled, "It would be a nice relaxing task for you."

The pink haired nin smiled tiredly, something that didn't go un-missed by Neji, "Sure, why not."

"Oh that reminds me!" Ino spun around to face him quickly, making him jump slightly in shock. "How come you never give _me_ flowers when im in the hospital?"

"Excuse me?" He frowned in confusion.

"In the hospital, you always give everyone else flowers. But I've never had anything!"

"Well," He started, shifting uncomfortably as he felt everyones eyes upon him. "I just assumed that because you worked in a flower shop, that you wouldn't appreciate them as much."

"I _told_ you!" Hinata crowed in triumph, pointing a finger in Ino's direction.

"I did always leave you sweet dango, though." Neji added quietly.

Ino gasped dramatically, her hands cupped around her mouth as she danced over to him, "Those were from _you?_ "

"Er...", he grumbled in annoyance as she latched onto his arm with both hands and looked up at him through a thick line of lashes.

"I had no idea!" She grinned happily, hugging his arm, "Thank you, Neji-san!" She sang.

His shoulders hunched as he tensed at her blatant disrespect of his personal space. Hinata raised her eyebrows as she noticed Neji's discomfort and quickly moved to change the conversation.

"So, Sakura!" She started, watching satisfied from the corner of eyes as Ino detached herself and danced over to the gardener, watching over his shoulder as he worked, "Shall we go?"

Sakura nodded tiredly, a small smile lighting up her features. She had planned to get back into bed and watch the world go by in her little garden underneath a bundle of blankets and away from anyone and everyone she could think of so that she could get her _dam_ head in order, but she also knew that whilst she was living here with the Hyuuga's she had to help out. With a small sigh she lifted herself to her feet, her skin burning as she felt his eyes on her the whole time and yet she couldn't bring herself to look at him; _why was he so concerned?_

"Sakura," Neji started, stopping her in her tracks. "I think you should rest a little first." He nodded at Hinata, who merely frowned and turned to assess her friend closer.

"Oh, no it's ok I don-"

Hinata smiled, "We'll do it later don't worry. I'll come get you this afternoon?"

Sakura nodded, "Arigatou."

"Ino! Come on you can help me with the table decorations." Hinata ushered the blonde through Sakura's room and back into the compound.

"Don't forget to get your mission off Kakashi." Neji gave one of his rare smiles as Ino past him, crossing his arms over his chest.

She shot him a furious glare as she trotted up the stairs and into the waiting arms of Hinata.

"We'll see you both later." Hinata called over her shoulder as she led Ino back through Sakura's rooms and into the depths of the compound.

Sakura watched them go, giving the two ladies a small wave before her hand dropped back down to her lap with a distant thud. _A party?_ She sighed heavily, hoping that as their guest she wasn't supposed to attend all of their functions. She had hoped that spending time in the compound with the Hyuuga's would be a nice relaxing getaway and somewhere where she could truly focus on getting herself better, but it seemed her life was going to be just as busy as it had been before any of this had happened.

"You don't have to go, you know."

Neji's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh?"

"To the party tonight. You're not expected to attend." He nodded to the gardener for his help and helped him gather his tools before he took his leave.

Sakura smiled, "I wouldn't of minded."

Neji smirked, "Your too polite, Sakura."

She flushed as he saw straight through her. "It would be nice to spend some time relaxing..." She said quietly, hoping he wouldn't be offended.

He nodded, "Why don't you try out the baths? Their near to here and wont be being used whilst the party is on. You wont be bothered, I assure you."

She smiled, no she _grinned at him_ , making his heart flutter slightly; she truly was stunning in the soft morning light.

"Arigatou, Neji-kun!"

"I'll have someone show you there later. Now go rest, up."

She stood and approached him, reaching a hand out and resting it on his forearm gently, her touch much softer compared to Ino's iron like one earlier. "Now whose too polite?" She whispered, smiling softly at the expression on his face before turning away from him and shutting the balcony door behind her.

Neji let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding; this woman was going to be the death of him.

xox

Sakura sighed softy as she dropped the soft white cotton towel and dipped into the hot waters of the Hyuuga baths. She felt her muscles instantly relax as the steam wafted off the surface of the water and settled onto into the pores of her skin. She sighed again, sinking down further so that only the tops of her shoulders and her head were free. She tipped her head back and looked up at clear night sky. It was rare for baths to have open roofs but she understood why the Hyuuga's did now as the view up was absolutely breathtaking.

Stars danced across a canvas of black, they're blinking lights flickering under the intense stare of the sleeping world. The moons rays just peeked over the edge of the wall to her right as its white light dabbled its way lazily across the paving stones and surrounding vegetation before shuddering to a stop at the waters edge. She let her fingers play with the light as it dissolved into the dark water, her hand disturbing its surface and scattering the reflections into nothing. She watched them disappear beneath her finger tips and wondered at how such a simple touch could dissolve so much.

The sounds of the party infiltrated her senses and she glanced to her left at the distant door leading into the compound. Lights danced from within and laughter bubbled followed by Naruto's booming voice. She cast her eyes at her surroundings and suddenly tried to forget the fact that was currently completely and utterly on her own. The darker corners of the baths sang to her and she couldn't help but let her eyes flicker there incase something was lurking in the shadows. She had yet to see the man who danced within the darkness in her waking dreams and there was a part of her that wanted to keep it that way; he was an evil man. Her shoulders hunched as the world started to close in around her.

She shook her head, breathing in and out through her nose in an attempt to calm herself down; _she was not having another episode here._ She ran her hands up and down her arms, splashing water over the side of the baths as she tried to rid herself of the goosebumps that were scattered across the surface of her skin despite the heat of the steaming water. She caught movement in her peripheral vision and she swung her head to try and catch it only to see a dark blurry figure disappear into the brush. She bit her lip to keep herself from panicking, digging her nails into the palms of her hands so hard she drew blood. She swung her head around again before frantically pushing forwards and looking behind her.

Empty space greeted her.

She sighed heavily, sinking back into the water as relief washed over her; it was just her imagination. She was working herself up again.

She was about to relax back against the side of the bath when a hand grabbed her ankle from beneath and pulled her sharply under water.

xox

Neji panned the space ahead of him with bored lavender eyes, deliberately skimming over the tops of peoples heads so that he wouldn't make eye contact. It seemed another draw back to his latest mission would be he had to spend more time at the Hyuuga's social gatherings. He had already had half the distant family fawning all over him about how they hadn't seen him in so long and ' _my how he had grown!'._ He wanted more than anything to be back in the comfort of his abode beneath layers of duvets and blankets in bed and watching the world go by in his small garden. He sighed, clasping his hands behind his back as he watched Hanabi closely, eyeing how many drinks slipped past her lips in case he had to intervene.

He was only really there for show as he was no longer classed as a branch member despite the ugly tattoo that marred his skin. He frowned at the thought of it, the disgusting reminder of his true place within the clan and he felt his fists clench in anger.

A vision of pink suddenly interrupted his thoughts and he quietly activated his Byuukagen as he decided to check on her. He stopped suddenly when he realised that she would be at the baths. He struggled with the idea of basically being a peeking tom; on the one hand he was just doing his job assigned to him by the Hokage, theres no harm in that, but on the other hand he was disrespecting her privacy.

Living in the Hyuuga household wasn't going to give her much of that anyway.

With a mental shrug and a side note to make sure that if anyone asked he was checking the perimeter, he quietly activated his bloodline and stretched his vision back out into the gardens and past the walls of the bathing house.

Emptiness greeted him and he frowned slightly. She couldn't have gone back to her rooms already she had only just been dropped off. He looked again and pushed his vision further, spotting a flash of blue chakra beneath the water. He stopped, his heart racing as he held his breath, staring at the floating blue lines in the hopes that some movement would occur to make them distort out of place, but nothing happened and he felt his stomach sink as the realisation suddenly hit him.

 _"Shit!"_ He cursed, turning and sprinting through the crowd, deftly avoiding bodies as he threw himself out the open balcony doors and dove into in a full out sprint across the grassy lawn, ignoring the concerned glances of his relatives. He lunged forwards once the wall to the open top baths came into view and in one jump he was up and over and rolling out of his leap across the stone slabs inside. Without even thinking twice he launched himself into the water, sloshing it over the sides as he frantically re-activated his Byuukagen and dived under water.

Sakura's lifeless body floated just underneath the surface and he grabbed her around the waist as he tried to carefully roll her over. He waded to the side of the baths, taking her up into his arms as he rolled her onto the side before leaping out of the water and kneeling over her.

"Come on, come on, come on..." He muttered, pressing two fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse.

Silence greeted him.

He cursed again as he quickly removed his soaking wet Haori and placed it over her naked form, preserving her modesty. He placed his hands onto her chest, one on top of the other, and pumped up and down quickly as he desperately tried to get her heart pumping again. He tipped her head back and hesitated momentarily, his lips hovering over her plump ones before his instincts kicked in and he pinched her nose, pressing his mouth to hers and breathing hot air straight down and into her lungs.

Her lips were deceivingly cold beneath his.

He felt his composure start to slip as he grit his teeth and brought his hands back down to her chest, frantically trying to bring some life back into her.

She wasn't dying yet, not on his _dam_ watch.

For the second time his lips met hers as he breathed his air down into her lungs, angling her head just right so as to try and avoid her stomach. A twitch of movement caught his attention and he had just enough time to move out of the way before Sakura leant over and vomited on the stone next to her.

xox

A warmth across her face dragged Sakura's consciousness out of the dark as she barely registered the heat of another persons body. She was swimming in black that was blissfully quiet and soothing, but every time she tried to dive back down into it a sharp pain in her chest and blast of heat across her mouth brought her back out of it until she felt her conscious snap and she swam up and towards the light to wreak havoc on whoever was disturbing her peace.

She didn't have time to register the warmth of another pair of lips on her own, however, as a hot burning bile rose up quickly in her throat and she pushed whoever it was aside to empty the sick feeling currently settling in her stomach. She coughed and spluttered, choking on air as she gasped it in, in deep gulps that made her chest roar with agony.

 _"Thank god..."_ She heard someone mutter, but couldn't bring herself to look. "I thought I'd lost you."

Neji's voice swept over her like a summer breeze as she collapsed back onto the rocks, her body spent and aching. "Neji?" She croaked, tears blurring her vision as she cracked her eyes open to try and find him.

He moved forwards and leant over her, his ponytail falling over his shoulder as his eyebrows furrowed in concern in comparison to his eyes that shone with pure, unadulterated relief.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his voice not its usual calm but spiked with emotion instead.

She nodded, then shook her head on second thought, bringing her hands up to her face as her features crumpled and the tears ran freely, her sobs mingled in with lasting coughs from where her throat still burned in agony. _What on earth had happened?_ On second thought, she didn't want to know. She hadn't realised the state of her undress until Neji gently lifted her up so as to wrap her towel around her shoulders and his Haori around her waist, its sleeves falling to dangle around her ankles as he gently lifted her up into his arms and turned to walk back towards the compound.

"Come on. I'll have a nurse take a look at you." He whispered quietly, his warm breath washing over the top of her head gently.

She shook her head vigorously, "No," she croaked, her voice breaking as sleep started to darken the edges of her vision, "No nurse."

She felt him hesitate, his footsteps changing direction away from the main compound and to the more sparsely populated areas of the Hyuuga grounds. Satisfied with his decision and no longer able to keep herself awake she welcomed the darkness with open arms, her head falling to rest against his shoulder as she fell into a blissful and pain free sleep.

Neji shifted her weight and carried on walking, changing direction towards his private quarters on the edges of the compound.

"Ok," He murmured, "No nurse."

xox

Kakashi jumped in surprise as his door was kicked open and Ino barrelled her way into the Hokage's office. He stared at her with one wide eye, his quill poised and ready above a waiting scroll that only needed one more dam signature. He flinched as she pointed a manicured finger at him.

 _"You need to assign me a mission!"_

xox

R+R!


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, been a bit rubbish with this one. Hopefully you like this chapter! There were a couple of comments on the previous chapter that were literally spot on with where I was taking this story! How did you guys know?!

Anyway, as always, enjoy !

xox

Sakura awoke slowly, her mind desperately trying to keep up with her bodies demands as her chest ached and her throat burned, nausea rolling in a constant circle around her stomach that made her suddenly regret the unconscious decision to awaken. She groaned lightly, squinting at the dim light that seemed so harsh against her sensitive eyes. She willed her mind to sink back into the comfortable depths of unconsciousness but hushed whispers and strained voices grated painfully on her senses and she blinked one eye open slowly, followed closely by the other as she rolled her head to the side in a disorientated and dizzying circle.

Two blurry figures blinked into existence and she immediately recognised the voices of Hiashi and Kakashi.

"I think its obvious she needs to be kept in a more permanent facility. She may become a danger to the Hyuuga's."

"Father, don't be so _absurd!"_ Hinata's voice had now joined the mix. "She is perfectly safe here. Every man and woman in this compound has the ability to protect themselves. She is not some wild animal."

"I agree with Hinata-sama, there is no real threat from Sakura." Kakashi hushed back, his voice strangely rushed as if he was loosing his temper.

"She tried to _drown_ herself! What if she turns that temper on someone else? What if it's a Hyuuga elder? I cant allow my people to be living in danger."

Sakura's head rolled; _she had tried to drown herself?_ Memories flooded her vision as she blinked her eyes but remained still so as not to disturb the conversation. She didn't remember that happening, she remembered water, a lot of water, and she remembered a pain in her leg. The kind of sharp stabbing pain that makes you grit your teeth and gasp in shock, but there was no memory of her even contemplating, no, _thinking_ about taking her own life. The thought alone made her stomach roll and she groaned involuntarily at the situation, the sensation overwhelming her senses.

A second blur interrupted her vision and she visibly jumped at the close proximity of Neji.

"Ah, you're awake." He murmured, his hand finding her forehead as he frowned, "You're running a bit of a temperature. How are you feeling?"

She groaned again and raised a shaking hand to her face, touching it gently as the disorientation of being awoken started to slowly dissipate. She swallowed, her tongue thick and dry as it stuck to the roof of her mouth. She grimaced at the acidic taste that plagued her mouth as she opened her lips to respond.

"Yeah, great!" She croaked, her voice cracking under the sudden strain, "Free to go train?"

He chuckled, "Well, you haven't lost you're humour so I assume it's not all bad."

She groaned again, clutching her stomach, "I think I'm gonna puke…" She grumbled, struggling to sit up as she leant over the side of the bed.

A bucket was conveniently available as she emptied the last of the bath water into its base, Neji's large hand patting her back gently to try and comfort her.

"Yes, Father, she looks really threatening." Hinata muttered, glaring at the elder from beneath frowning purple eyebrows.

Kakashi blinked, "Hey, that was good sarcasm. Naruto has taught you well, unfortunately." He sighed.

Hiashi grimaced slightly and turned his head away from the young woman as Neji helped her back onto the pillows he had propped up for her and handed her a welcome glass of water. Sakura glanced at her surroundings for the first time since waking and immediately didn't recognise them.

She frowned, turning to Neji, "Where are we?"

He turned back to her, picking the bucket up as he moved to discard the contents down the toilet. "These are my private quarters." He replied quietly, before turning and heading for the bathroom, the flush sounding a moment later.

A bright pink blush flushed across her cheeks as she suddenly recognised the interior from where she had snooped the other day. She glanced greedily around as she tried to suck up as much visible information as she could about him; his weapons closet was open and on show, the vast array of equipment and cleaning facilities strewn haphazardly across the steal shelves. His wardrobe was in a similar state where it sat open, a couple of t-shirts lay in a pool at its base and to her horror, her clothes too. She froze, her hands gripping the sheets of his large king size bed as she glanced down at what she was wearing and instantly recognised his trademark white haori wrapped tightly around her. She also felt a pair of his grey jogging bottoms slung around her hips and riding up her legs uncomfortably. She grimaced, closing her eyes as she buried her head in her hands, her nose suddenly filled with the scent of him that secretly calmed her nerves and dampened her anxiety.

She was mortified; he had seen her naked and not necessarily under circumstances that she would deem a _boost_ in her self confidence.

A hand on her shoulder jumped her from her thoughts.

"Are you ok?" Hinata muttered quietly, her concerned frown making Sakura feel self-sympathetic all over again.

"Yes, just, you know-" She bumbled over her words, "Did he? I mean, _did Neji change me?"_ She whispered behind closed hands, making sure Kakashi and Hiashi didn't hear her over their heated discussion.

Hinata chuckled quietly, rearranging the sheets around Sakura's form so as to cover the skin of her arms and keep her warm, "Oh, Sakura-chan. Don't you worry about that." She winked.

She groaned and dropped her face into her hands again, rubbing her temples gently as she buried herself underneath the covers, a mop of pink hair the only visible thing that confirmed her existence. The smell of Neji overwhelmed her senses beneath the sheets and she felt her mind relax as she started to think on everything she had overheard.

Her voice was muffled as she mumbled out her thoughts.

Hinata frowned, "Whats that?" She asked, removing the cover from Sakura's face so she could speak.

Sakura frowned back at her, feeling her anger starting to boil beneath the surface, "I didn't try to _drown_ myself…"

Hinata blinked before flushing in embarrassment at being overheard, turning to her father with a pointed stare, "You were _saying?"_ She asked him, her question meant rhetorically.

He coughed politely behind a hand, moving to stand next to the step up to Neji's bed. He stared down at Sakura with his beady little eyes and she stared right back at him, her green eyes burning with barely controlled rage; how dare he assume that about her.

"Please, Sakura-san, enlighten us as to what really happened?" He asked, the politeness in his voice was barely registering beneath the clipped tone.

"Someone grabbed my ankle. I was pulled under water."

"Sakura, I know you must be angry but do you think that maybe this was another-"

Kakashi's response was cut off by her angry retort, "I'm not _joking,_ sensei!" She snapped, "Someone pulled me under! Why would I lie about this?"

Before anyone could respond Neji stepped forwards and onto the platform his bed was on, reaching down with his hands he ripped the covers back off of Sakura. She squealed in surprise, wrapping her arms around her chest before suddenly realising she wasn't in fact naked and awkwardly dropping them back into her lap again. Neji pulled back the end of his jogging bottoms from her left leg and lifted it gently for everyone in the room to see.

There, on her left ankle, was a large mottled bruise marring the pale skin of her leg.

Hinata gasped, "Oh, Sakura! Is it painful?"

"How did you know about this?" Hiashi demanded, pointing a finger at his nephew.

Neji gently placed Sakura's leg back down and turned to face his uncle, "When I was re-dressing her I noticed the bruise. I'm sorry, I don't know much apart from the basics of medical ninjutsu and so I just reduced the pain." He shrugged sheepishly at Sakura.

All heads turned to Kakashi as he let out a sigh, his head dropping slightly as he suddenly realised the amount of work that this would involve. "Ahhh, this is going to get confusing." He muttered, the fabric of his mask moving across his lips as he hummed in thought.

"What do we do now?" Hinata asked quietly as her hands turned green as she approached Sakura.

"Don't heal it." Kakashi started, "We need to launch an official investigation. It's a serious offence to trespass on Hyuuga ground" He nodded at Hiashi, "you'll need to up your security. Include night time patrols as well."

Hiashi nodded, "I'll see it done." He turned to take his leave, "I'll meet you in my office, Hinata. There is much we must do."

"Hai, Father."

Neji replaced the covers over Sakura's body, tucking her in gently. "Gomen, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's ok, I should probably go back to my own rooms now anyway." She laughed sheepishly, averting her gaze from his burning white one.

"No." Kakashi interrupted.

She blinked, "No?"

"Your under house arrest here from now on. Neji will guard you 24/7. You can have access to his private gardens but that is all."

"Kakashi-sensei! That's too much!" Sakura cried, moving her legs to throw them over the bed to stand but she stopped as her head span and she flopped back with a grunt.

"Until we find out who did this you are to stay here with Neji." Kakashi nodded at the younger man, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Hai, Hokage." Neji responded, bowing lightly in respect.

"We can set up a bed over here?" Hinata asked him, pointing to where his sofa was currently sat.

He nodded, "We can push that further around." He gestured to the weapons cupboard that sat next to the sofa.

"Whoa, hold on a second!" Sakura started, "Is no one appreciating that _I'm_ not ok with this?!"

"Unfortunately, Sakura, in this instance _you_ are the patient and _we_ are the medics." Kakashi smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Will you let us look after you?"

" _I don't need babysitting!"_ She growled, the word not going unnoticed by Neji as he began to help Hinata move furniture around his living space.

"No one said that you are. You are being protected, Sakura. There is a difference. If someone is deliberately out to hurt you than It will put _everyones_ minds at ease to have someone watching over you as well. It wouldn't hurt to have another pair of eyes watching your back." He gave her a knowing look, almost daring her to defy his orders again.

She huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest angrily as she averted her gaze, "Fine."

His eye crinkled as he smiled beneath his mask, "Good, that's settled then. Now, If you'll excuse me I must get back to the office. The sun is rising and that usually means Shizune will be in soon."

With a swirl of leaves and puff of smoke he was gone, a scroll landing in his place that Neji bent down to retrieve; his latest mission briefing no doubt. An eerie silence echoed throughout the room as the only noises that bounced off of the walls was the scrapping of the sofa as Hinata hiked up her formal dress and half lifted the furniture across the wooden floors to the other side of the room.

Sakura watched Neji as he read the mission scroll, gauging his reaction to having to be her personal babysitter for the foreseeable future; she couldn't imagine him being pleased about it. A frown had settled across his forehead and she mirrored as she watched him. His mind was clearly processing something and he turned quickly to face his cousin, his gaze passing over Sakura as she fiddled with the sheets and averted her eyes.

"I'm going to get Kiba."

Hinata frowned, "You should wait for orders from Kakashi."

He shook his head, "Someone attacked Sakura, not to mention trespass on Hyuuga grounds. I'm going to get him to sniff out the area; maybe their scent has lingered after last night."

Before Hinata could stop him he had grabbed his coat and sandals and was out the door into the early morning cold. Sakura lifted a hand, her mouth partly open and ready to stop him before the slamming door interrupted her; he was clearly rattled and frustrated.

Hinata sighed, moving to sit on the end of his bed with Sakura, "He's become a bit of a handful recently."

Sakura's eyebrows raised as she sipped at her water, "How come?"

"He was spending so long out on the field, literally one job after another," Hinata shook her head, "Kakashi worked him into the ground and he didn't say a thing, but he missed us a lot. All of us. He hated that he missed out on everything. His life had become work and sleep, that was the routine."

Sakura felt empathy for the man creep into her system, "I had no idea…"

"No one did, he kept it very quiet. He was cross, Sakura, I wont lie. What you didn't know what that Kakashi had actually already assigned him this mission when you first came home."

Hinata waited on tender hooks for Sakura's fierce temper to rear its ugly head but she only rubbed her temples, too tired for an argument.

"We didn't tell you because we only wanted you to worry about getting better. But no one told Neji the full extent of your," She paused, "situation. He was cross not because he has to look after you, but because Kakashi lied. He cares about us a lot and I know that you don't feel like you need looking after, but Neji _needs_ someone _to_ look after. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Sakura nodded mutely, picking at the frayed edges of his sheets, "We're looking after each other."

Hinata smiled warmly, taking the woman's hands in her own gently, "Exactly."

Sakura smiled back, "It might be quite nice, actually. Neji and I have never been really close."

Hinata grinned, her teeth shining in the early morning light, "I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what he's _really_ like."

xox

Kiba grimaced as he entered the bath house, his nose already filled with the scents of multiple people. He turned to glare at Neji beneath his brow, his keen eyes scanning the man's face for any signs of the fact that he knew exactly how difficult this was going to be for the dog nin.

"Oi, Hyuuga!" He snapped, "You could have at least kept people out of the bath house! How am I supposed to track in this mess?!" He gestured to the air around him.

Neji snorted, "Stop barking, dog and do your job."

Their banter may seem harsh to outside viewers, but it was all only meant in jest. The two were surprisingly close despite their vast differences in opinion and lifestyle. They respected each other and mutual respect was something that was greatly sought after in the ninja community.

"Yea, yea," Kiba waved off the comment, it's words rolling off the back of his broad shoulders. "Show me where she was attacked."

Neji pointed to a corner of the baths, activating his Byuukagen as he searched to double check that there was no one around still. He followed slowly behind Kiba as the man sniffed and tracked the surrounding area, crouching down low as he brushed the stone with his fingertips. Neji studied him for a moment, a level of jealously growing in the back of his mind as he realised that if he had the same abilities as Kiba than he could have caught the fiend himself already.

He was jumped from his thoughts by a loud barking sound from Kiba.

"What on earth was that?"

"I'm calling to Akamaru. He's patrolling the area around the bathhouse trying to pick up a scent too."

Neji shut up after that and let the pair do their work. He made note of the surrounding stone and area, crouching onto his heels and remembering the events of last night as he brushed his hands across the area he had pumped air into Sakura's lungs. Her pale face and blue lips flashed across his vision and he blinked as his heart hammered in his chest, the overwhelming emotions from the previous night suddenly rushing back. His blood thundered in his ears as adrenaline rushed through his veins, his chakra spiking in response to it. Every time he blinked he saw her face again and he struggled to shake the vision from his mind as he tried to concentrate on the problem at hand. He was visibly jumped from his mind wanderings as Kiba shouted at him.

"Hey, you ok?" Kiba frowned, "Did you hear what I just said?"

Neji shook his head, "Sorry, no. Have you found something?"

Kiba nodded, frowning in concern, "Yea, but you're _not_ gonna like it."

xox

Amaya grit her teeth as she thew another kunai, its sharp point hitting the bullseye with deadly accuracy. She growled in annoyance, wiping sweat off of her forehead as she tried to beat her best time; hitting the bullseye didn't necessarily mean it was a good shot, she had to get faster. She paced around the small training ground, her eyes on the target as she blinked the image of white eyes and brown hair from her memory. She growled in annoyance at her immaturity and inability to get over the man who plagued her dreams every night. She flicked her wrist, bringing another kunai into sight and flung it at the target, her body following through as she watched it with keen, midnight eyes.

A hand shot out from the darkness of the foliage and caught it mid-flight, the point of the kunai barely touching the wooden paint of the bullseye.

She blinked in shock, watching as Neji stepped out of the shadows and into her line of sight. Her heart fluttered as she straightened; it was the first time she had seen him since he shot down her affection.

"What are you playing at, Amaya?"

The tone of his voice made the hairs on her neck stand on end as she watched him carefully. A rush of adrenaline shot through her veins as she suddenly realised that he _knew,_ he _knew_ she had been there. She swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a step back slightly as she tried to back away from the threatening aura that was currently rippling off of Neji's body.

"I'm training. The yearly reviews are coming up and Kakashi wants us to-"

"Thats not what I meant!" He snapped, throwing the kunai so that it whizzed past her face, slicing the hair around her ear and thudding into the tree trunk behind her.

A gasp escaped her lips as she turned her eyes towards where the kunai had landed, her chest heaving as all of the air left her as Neji took advantage of her mistake and within a blink an eye he was suddenly in front of her, his eyes burning with rage as his arm shot up and he threw her back by the neck, slamming her into the tree and scratching her skin painfully on the bark.

 _"Why?"_ He growled, his nose almost touching hers as he hissed.

"It was just - a joke!" She choked, bringing her hands up to claw at his arm that was wrapped tightly around her throat.

"She almost _died!"_

Amaya had never heard Neji raise his voice. In all the years that she had spent training with him and slowly but surely falling in love with him, he had never shouted or spat back. He was harsh and a good leader, disciplined if you will, but anger was not part of his repertoire. So here she was, currently pinned to the tree, his large hand cutting of her air supply as he hissed in her face, his snowy eyes burning with barely contained rage and she finally realised what it was that had been bothering her.

Jealousy was an ugly colour to be wearing.

"S-sorry! I'm _sorry!"_ She gasped, reaching for a kunai to fight back as she feared that he was going to choke her out.

The moment suddenly past as he dropped her weight, letting her fall to her knees as she choked on air, trying to get as much into her lungs as possible. She breathed heavily, letting her head fall onto her chest as she flushed in embarrassment.

"If you ever touch my friends again I wont hold back." He muttered, turning his head away as he tried to calm his sudden anger.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, "I didn't mean to hurt her like that."

"Not only did you almost commit a murder but you also trespassed on Hyuuga land. That is a serious offence."

Her head shot up as two Anbu landed neatly next to Neji and advanced towards her quickly. She immediately straightened and turned her head to Neji in shock as they gripped both her hands behind her back and bound her in chakra shackles.

"Neji?! What the _hell?"_ She shouted, struggling against the two men.

"Amaya Silver, you are arrested on charges of assault and violating the rules and trust of the Hyuuga family." Neji recited, watching her with emotionless eyes as she was unceremoniously dragged away. "You are here by banished from Anbu and all ranks of the ninja community."

 _"Neji!"_ She screamed, kicking against her captives as they pulled her towards the Hokage tower.

"Kakashi will deal with you from now on." He finished.

A sick amount of satisfaction rolled through his body as he felt his shoulders sag in relief; the situation wasn't as serious as they all thought and Sakura was now safe again. He toyed with the idea of telling her; if she didn't need protecting anymore than would he be put back out in to the field again? He had enjoyed his small portion of time back at home and was looking forward to spending some more time with the pink haired nin, perhaps learning a thing or two about medical ninjutsu as he went.

With a heavy sigh, he turned and jumped back into the forest.

xox

When Neji returned, Hinata and Naruto were no where in sight. He shut his back door quietly behind him as he spotted a mop of pink hair still sprawl out across his plush pillows. He quietly made his way over to the sleeping woman and smiled lightly at the sight.

She was sprawled out across the sheets, her head tilted to the side with her mouth slightly parted as she snoozed lightly. Her cheeks were flushed from her now passing fever and Neji gently lay his hand across her forehead just to double check. She shifted slightly under his touch and he retreated so as not to wake her further. He continued to watch as she clutched the sheets of his bed and buried her face into it, her breathing turning heavy again as she fell back in to a deep sleep. She was still adorned in his Haori but he noticed that she had removed his jogging bottoms and the beginnings of her black underwear were starting to peak beneath the front of the sheet from where it had pooled around her waist.

He flushed, reaching forwards and pulling the sheets further up her stomach to cover the sight.

He padded into the kitchen, slipping on his slippers as he went. He hadn't dwelled on the sight of Sakura naked as he quickly changed her into dry clothes last night, but now that he was alone and not busy, his thoughts quickly became a distraction and he shook his head irritably as he moved to fill the kettle and prepare breakfast.

 _Her skin had been smooth beneath his fingers, pale but supple and soft to the touch. He hadn't taken his time with dressing her as he was trying to get her warm and rid her skin of the goosebumps that currently plagued it. He had healed her to the best of his abilities, but she would need proper attention in the morning._

 _He paused momentarily as he moved to unwrap the towel from her waist. He glanced up at her face, making sure she was still unconscious as he suddenly realised what he was about to do._

 _He took a deep breath, before gently unfolding the towel from her hips._

He blinked, the kettle whistling noisily in front of him and he moved a shaking hand to remove it from the hob before the sound woke Sakura. A pink blush flushed his cheeks as he poured two cups of steaming peppermint tea and set them aside as he started to pull ingredients from the fridge.

He dropped the eggs on the counter and leant forwards onto his elbows, dropping his head into his hands.

Bloody hell, he was going to loose his mind on this _dam_ mission.

xox

R+R!


	7. Chapter 7: Budding Romance

Oh my gosh… I'm so sorry for the late update! What a _womble_. (My computer is hating that word right now and has underlined it in an angry red scribble)

This chapter is a slow burner, but the whole story will be in general, I guess. I want to take my time in developing their relationship and exploring the little things that happen before two people realise there are feelings developing!

Anyway, Enjoy!

xox

Life, she thought, was such a fickle thing.

It was so flippant and uncaring, like a bully at school. It was nothing like her parents had taught it would be nor was it like her childish expectations. In fact it was just an ugly pimple on the skin of the universe that eventually popped when you past on to the next world. Her thoughts wandered in and out of this visual theory as she stared out at the back garden of Neji's property, her eyes glassy and distant as she let herself get lost within her imagination.

It was early morning and she hadn't slept, having spent most of the previous day sleeping in Neji's bed she suddenly realised her mistake as she transported herself, much to Neji's chagrin, to her own bed that he had set up where the sofa usual was in his open plan living room. At the thought of him, she glanced over her feet and at the platform that housed his much larger king size bed. The cotton sheets that hung around it blew in the gentle breeze that she had allowed in when she got up to open the balcony doors slightly and she could just make out his still sleeping form on top of the mattress, his gently heavy breaths a silent and welcome reminder that she wasn't alone in her apartment anymore.

She was content in his presence, which was strange because they had never spent much time together in the past, anyway. Sure, she had healed him during the war and essentially saved his life, but that never needed to be returned and she hoped that he wasn't doing this just for that reason. Maybe she would speak to him today. She glanced back at him as a light snore echoed from where he lay sprawled out across the sheets.

Maybe not.

She had never seen him sleep. Everything was new for her and she had to admit, she was rather enjoying it. Hinata had been right when she said Neji's true personality was not what she thought it would be. The one thing that had surprised her the most was how caring he was. It touched her how much and how far he was willing to go to look after her. It also surprised her how untidy he was. He wasn't messy in the usual sense of the word but he would kick his sandals off and leave them at the door and he often left his weapons closet open and on full view where his extra kunai and cleaning equipment were shoved onto the shelves. He also slept differently to how she thought he would, which in itself was an odd concept but she imagined that he would be tucked under the sheets neatly, his arms by his sides and on his back when in fact he sprawled out across the whole bed, his arms and legs stretched out. She lifted her head slightly to see him currently sprawled out on his stomach, his head turned to the side and facing her with his hair untied, loose and splayed at all angles around his head.

She was loathed to admit that he was rather handsome.

With a tired blink she turned her attention back to the waking world outside. She never wanted to leave the comfort and safety of her current place beneath layers and layers of warm blankets, but she had a counselling appointment today within the compound and she was less than happy about attending it; it was ruining her day of doing nothing. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Tsunade's screaming face popped into her head and she groaned quietly, huffing a loud sigh as she felt her muscles tense in annoyance. She threw back the covers and stepped into her slippers, padding quickly and quietly around her bed and to the adjacent bathroom, being careful not to wake Neji as she crept into the room and shut the door quietly behind her.

She instantly felt awkward, glancing around at his toiletries as she quickly sidestepped to the toilet to empty her bladder before rinsing her hands and finally staring at herself in the mirror. She blinked in shock at the reflection, staring at the girl staring back at her; this wasn't her, this wasn't who she had seen for the past twenty-three years. Dark circles ringed her eyes and her face had become pale and gaunt from her lack of food and sleep. She didn't remember the last time she had eaten anything considered a meal, her stomach grumbling in response as her thoughts wandered to the kitchen that sat on the other side of her bed.

She poked her head out of the door and glanced at the bed, noticing Neji was still in it and very much still asleep, she tip toed again around her bed and stood in the entrance way to his kitchen. That was what was bothering her so much about it.

It was _his_ kitchen, not _hers._

She twisted her fingers nervously as she shifted her weight, pondering on whether or not to use his food. She thought better of it as she turned defiantly, grabbing her kimono gown and glancing at the clock on the wall as she past it, noticing the arm pointing at five. She opened and shut his sliding door quietly, stepping out into the dimly lit corridor that to her left headed off into the direction of the main household and to the right headed off to the end of the branch members house and their large, multifunctional kitchen. With food on the brain, she headed in this direction.

xox

Neji's eyes snapped open as soon as his door shut quietly. He had awoken earlier to check on Sakura only to see her wide awake and staring wistfully out of the window into his back garden. Because she was comfortably still beneath the sheets and seemingly all right, he went back to dozing peacefully, enjoying the quiet of the compound as he drifted in and out of sleep. He was aware of her padding around as she got out of bed, but was put at ease when he heard the distant flush of the toilet and the water running in the sink. He could easily activate his Byuukagen and watch her wander aimlessly to make sure that she was all right, but he felt that was a waste of chakra; Sakura was still a capable nin and could easily look after herself still. He thought, anyway.

However, as she exited the room he immediately sat up in bed and activated his bloodline, watching as she padded her way slowly and quietly down the hall and all the way into the branch members kitchen. He frowned, glancing over at his own kitchen in confusion. _Why had she gone there?_ He had deliberately stocked his fridge yesterday for two people and there was plenty of food to apes her appetite and yet she still chose to go and eat with potential strangers. He sighed, neglecting his warm bed as he pulled back the sheets and stepped down onto the platform, grabbing his jogging bottoms off of the end of his bed as he slipped into them and left them hang loosely around his hips. He left his chest bare as he ignored his t-shirt and quickly followed her out of his room and into the dark hallways of the Hyuuga compound.

xox

Sakura stared at the large open fridge, her mind wandering over the possibilities of what to cook as she felt almost mesmerised by the dull florescent light that lit her choices in a sickly hue of yellow. The hum of the fridge itself reverberated insistently in the background as she leant forwards and grabbed a carton of milk and two eggs from the side door, spotting some salmon and grabbing that too before she shut the fridge and turned to place everything on the counter.

She yelped in shock at the sight of Neji, dropping everything on the floor and splattering raw egg up her ankles.

"You scared me!" She gasped, her hand on her chest as she laughed nervously. "Oh and now I've made a mess." She sighed, bending down and gathering the shattered egg shells and ruined food, feeling her heart flutter slightly as Neji knelt to help her, using a damp cloth to help clean up the mess.

"I thought you were asleep?" She murmured, pressing her foot onto the pedal bin and dropping the contents of her hands into it.

"I was dozing. I have been awake for a while." He responded equally as quietly, rinsing his hands in the sink before turning to analyse her. He frowned as he noticed the dark bags under his eyes, "You haven't slept?"

She had to fight her emotions as she swallowed the lump in her throat, shaking her head gently, "No." _Why was she so emotional all of a sudden?_

"You should go back to bed, Sakura. Rest a little before the day starts."

She nodded, but the action made tears drip off her lashes and she rubbed at her eyes furiously as she grit her teeth in annoyance, "Ugh, sorry. I don't even know why I'm _crying!",_ she gasped, feeling her shoulders shake quietly.

"You don't have to be brave around me, Sakura."

Her eyes widened a fraction at the statement and she peeked up at him from beneath her lashes to see him gazing down at her, his pearl eyes almost glowing in the dim early morning light.

"Come on. I have enough food in my kitchen for two, which you are more than welcome to use by the way. But I want you to try and sleep first."

She blinked sleepily, suddenly feeling the tiredness hit her full force, "Will you be there?" She had whispered the words before she had even thought about them and she clamped her mouth shut and didn't dare look at him as she walked ahead into the dark hallway.

She could almost feel his smile, "Yes. It is my house, after all."

She smiled in return, a blush stretching across her cheeks, "Sorry. My heads a little all over the place..."

He didn't respond and so they continued in silence, soon rounding the corner where Neji's sliding shoji doors came into view and Sakura was soon met with her warm, comfortable bed. Following Neji's order, she slipped beneath the covers and rolled onto her side, facing outside the window again as she watched him shut his balcony door, keeping the cold morning air at bay. She suddenly realised that he was topless and she felt herself flush beneath the covers as she averted her eyes to stare at anything other than his bare chest. He was obviously comfortably around her and she had seem him half naked on more than one occasion as she healed him out in the field or in the hospital, but it felt so different being in such close quarters with him, his quarters to be precise, where anything could happen.

She stopped her thoughts right there. She was having _none_ of that. He was looking after her, not trying to seduce her. She made a promise then and there to not let any feelings get jumbled up into the mix of already confusing emotions going on in her head; Neji had been assigned this as a mission, nothing more, nothing less.

"Are you comfortable?"

She jumped from her thoughts as she looked up as his lithe figure towering over her, "Yes, thank you." She smiled.

He nodded back, "Don't worry about anything, Sakura. Ok?"

She smiled again, averting her eyes away from his as she thought how small his point of view was, "I know."

"Good, now sleep."

She grinned, "Yes, captain."

Neji flinched slightly at the words, his mind wandering back to Amaya before he brought himself back to reality and turned back to raise an eyebrow at the pinkette. He too returned to his bed, satisfied with managing to get Sakura to at least remain beneath her duvet for a few hours more before rising. Looking after her wasn't proving to be too hard as of yet and he was enjoying spending some time in the compound and with his friends and family. He sighed, pulling the sheets up and over his chest as he relaxed back into his pillows and instantly felt his tense muscles release.

A peaceful slumber took him quickly, but his dreams were vivid and uneasy, filled with the picture of midnight blue eyes and dark black hair.

xox

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his one free eye gingerly as he tried to rid himself of his tiredness. Stood to his right was Naruto and on his left were two anbu guards, whilst straight ahead of him sat Amaya, she too flanked by several guards, her hands cuffed in tight chakra shackles still.

"Ok, lets try get to the bottom of this." Kakashi started, leaning forwards and resting his head onto his hands,"I'm going to try and not let personal opinion and emotions get in the way, the same goes for you Naruto." He glanced over his shoulder as he felt Naruto's chakra spike and brush against his back, his blue eyes a steel knife that was currently cutting through Amaya's brave facade.

"Ignore him he'll settle down soon," Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled, but it did nothing to calm the tension in the room.

Amaya settled back into her chair, trying to keep her focus on Kakashi and the scroll laid out in front of him, but her eyes kept nervously darting towards Naruto as she felt his chakra push angrily against hers, testing her patience and trying to make her snap under the strain. She started to sweat under the pressure and felt her breathes coming in long shaky draws, her eyes starting to rim with tears as the realisation that she could be sent to prison for what she had done hit her full force; her father would have her head.

"I'm not going to outline the details as we all know what has happened. But why did you do it?"

She stared at her bound hands that sat atop her knees, the chakra shackles were starting to get hot against her skin, "I -... It was just supposed to be a joke, ya know? Just to scare her and then I'd jump out and we'd have a laugh about it but it went wrong and I just _panicked."_

Kakashi frowned, "You are an Anbu of Konoha Leaf and you panicked?"

She nodded, although her eyes glanced to the left as she felt herself start to sweat again. She knew that it wasn't a lie, she had actually panicked and was aware that Neji was nearby at the time and if he had found her there with Sakura that he would have lost what little respect he had for her in the first place. Not that, that mattered anymore. She had ruined everything, but they didn't need to know about her affections towards Neji. Nobody did, as long as he didn't talk.

Kakashi gazed at the young woman as she fumbled over her thoughts. He wondered if she was aware that her expressions gave away everything that she was thinking. He could see that she was struggling and that her intentions had been tainted by something else; this woman was not evil, nor was she deliberately trying to attack Sakura. Something else was going on behind the scenes that was blinding her sense of judgement.

"Amaya, tell me, how long have you been in love with Hyuuga Neji?"

Her head snapped up, her bright midnight eyes were round with barely contained shock as she instantly gave away the true meaning of her actions. Kakashi knew he had hit the nail on the head as Naruto's chakra turned from deadly to recoiling back in confusion. He glanced over his shoulder to see his blue eyes frowning and his mouth agape slightly. The young Kyuubi holder looked down at his sensei as he tried to convey his shock and confusion, but Kakashi merely turned back to the young offender and waited patiently to answer.

The answer would come, he knew it would eventually. He sighed quietly; love was such a dangerous thing.

"About five years..." Amaya ducked her head, shame splattered across her cheeks in a bright shade of red.

"So when you first joined his Anbu team?"

She nodded, "Yes, Hokage."

"Do you think that these feelings have perhaps gotten a little out of hand?"

She nodded again.

"And do you think that maybe they have clouded your judgement?"

She nodded again, feeling tears drips off her lashes as she remembered back to Neji's outright dismissal of her feelings. "He refused me..." She mumbled.

"Sorry?" despite the silence in the room, her words went missed on Kakashi ears as he strained to hear her.

"He _rejected_ me!" She almost spat, feeling embarrassment creep up the back of her neck as the two Anbu next to her shifted their weight.

Kakashi didn't respond, mulling everything over in his head instead.

"When?" Naruto cut in.

Amaya blinked in confusion, glanced at Kakashi for permission to respond. He nodded.

"Er.." She racked her brain, "A few days ago I think?"

"So, before the attack?"

Amaya nodded.

"I think we've found the catalyst then..." Naruto mumbled, sighing as he rubbed his temples gingerly.

Kakashi nodded in agreement, "Look, Amaya, I don't think you're a bad person, nor do I think you did those things because you were deliberately targeting Sakura, but you were taking your emotions out on her because her and Neji have been spending time together recently. Sakura is... going through a hard time at the moment, and I have assigned Neji to look after her until she is back on her feet again. There is no romance between them. Understand?"

Amaya nodded, the embarrassment of the situation was starting to way down on her conscience.

"I have to punish you, however, you understand that right?"

She nodded again, ducking her head as she averted his gaze and awaited the verdict.

"I'm going to pull you off active roster for now, until I deem you fit to join again. You have to complete five counselling sessions and one hundred hours of community service after you have served twenty-eight days in prison for the trespassing of Hyuuga property and GBH of Haruno Sakura. You can take her away now." He nodded to the Anbu guards.

Kakashi watched with a sinking heart as Amaya kicked and tugged against the pull of the two men, begging him to not send her to prison, that she would do anything instead of spending time underground. The dungeons were dark and damp, housing not just criminals for petty crimes, but murderers and assassins too. The worst of the worst spent time down there and she was about to join them.

They will wreak havoc on her, which will be a lesson in itself.

Kakashi sighed, dropping his head into his hands as Amaya's screams of frustration became ever more distant, "Now I understand why Tsunade drinks."

xox

Sakura stared out of the window of one of the many Hyuuga rooms that were tucked away within the compound. She watched as the clouds drifted quietly across the sky, birds sweeping under its vast expanse as the day dragged on and the afternoon sun lit a dim light across the muted greens of the Hyuuga gardens. She sighed, the silence in the room was stretching and she wondered how long she could go without answering the question before it became awkward. She had deliberately turned away to make it look like she was thinking but then her thoughts had gotten lost within the view and now she was back in the room she suddenly realised the intense stare of her councillor on the side of her face.

"We can take a break if you like?", The woman asked, her glasses slipping down the bridge of her nose as she dipped her head to try and look Sakura directly in the eyes.

Sakura smiled quietly, "No it's ok, I just got distracted. Where were we?"

"Well, It's been almost four months now since we started your treatment. Do you feel like theres any improvement?"

Sakura felt her nerves twist as anger bubbled its way to the surface; she honestly just didn't care anymore. She was fed up with these sessions, with the stupid questions that were actually virtually _impossible_ to answer. She would heal on her own, surrounded by her friends and family, not sat in a chair opposite a woman whose face was looking more and more punchable. She shifted her weight in the seat, crossing her legs as she tried not to grin at her dark thoughts. Oh, Tsunade would have her _head_ if she did anything rash.

"Actually, I think I would quite like to take that break. Im rather tired. Can we re-schedule for another time?"

The woman across from her blinked, "Ah yes, of course!", She fumbled with her diary, Sakura's piercing gaze making her palms sweat, "How about next week? I can arrange it with Hinata if you'd prefer?"

Sakura stood from her chair, not bothering to bid the woman goodbye as she headed for the door, "Thank you. Can you see yourself out?"

The woman stood too, her diary falling to he floor as she nervously tried to appease the younger woman, "Ah! Yes!-"

The door slammed shut behind her.

xox

Neji stared at the small dining room table he had set up by the balcony door, adorned with a fresh cloth, two table place settings, two glasses and crockery along with two seats. He frowned, shifting his weight, before settling back into position and staring at the dinner for two setup with raised eyebrows. His expression conveyed his thoughts as he pondered on whether or not he had perhaps gone slightly overboard.

The smell of dinner cooking roused his senses as he turned to the kitchen to keep an eye on the pot of bubbling soup on the stove top, his pearlescent eyes flashing under the dim yellow lights of his apartment. He crossed his arms, turning back to the situation at hand as he stared at his simple table, wondering whether he should remove the cloth; was it too much? He was about to do just that when the door to his apartment burst open and Sakura stormed in. He jumped in surprise, turning to watch her as she paced back and forth, occasionally pinning him with her fiery green eyes before going back to her thoughts.

He blinked, "Do I dare ask whats happened?", a hint of humorous sarcasm lingered in the tone of his voice.

 _"How-"_ She started, whirling around, her arms flailing as she gestured wildly, "on _earth,_ do you people find your way around this place?!"

His eyebrows raised again, "Ah."

"Yes, _Ah!"_ She shouted, "I've been wandering around for two hours! I didn't bump into anybody! Where is everyone, hiding in the cupboards?!", she growled in annoyance, flopping down onto her bed as she laid back and stared at the ceiling.

"They are away on business. Didn't Hinata tell you? They are spending the weekend with Gaara discussing future clan matters."

Sakura lifted her head to look at him, "Oh! No, she didn't... Since when did the Hyuuga's have clan matters with the sand?"

He smiled, "Since always,"

She gave him a tired smile in return, her eyes casting downwards as she finally spotted the table that he was currently trying to hide as he stepped into her view. She sat up and peered around him, her heart fluttering at the sight as a small table set for two came into a view and the smell of home cooked chicken noodle soup drifted into her nostrils. She stared back up at him, her mouth slightly agape in shock as her cheeks flushed a light dusting of pink.

He coughed to clear the awkward tension that had settled into the room, "I hope you're hungry," He started, averting his gaze from her now glowing green ones as she stood up and walked around him, running the tips of her fingers across the table cloth gently.

She smiled, "You're too kind to me..." She muttered quietly.

"You know, most people are surprised to find out that I'm actually not an _'Ice Prince'."_ He gave her a rare smile, gesturing for her to sit before he re entered the kitchen and, whilst using oven mitts, much to Sakura's amusement, grabbed the large stewing pot off the stove and brought it to the table, placing it carefully in the middle before removing the lid and revealing dinner. Her mouth salivated at the sight and she couldn't help but grin as Neji handed her the ladle so she could dig in.

"So, I take it your session didn't go too well today?", Neji really didn't want to broach this particular topic as he knew it would bring up certain emotions in Sakura that he honestly didn't feel like dealing with, but it was his job to look after her.

"Four months of counselling and I'm still pretty messed up. Time is the only healer I'm familiar with and it worked pretty well before…" The sarcasm was practically dripping.

"Ah" He started, unsure of how to go on, "Does it not help to speak to someone who understands?"

"We've all been through hardship, just because she probably has to doesn't mean she gets how I feel."

"No, I meant she has studied the human mind," He took the ladle from her, "Therefore she understands why you feel the way you do."

Sakura blinked, "Oh... I guess I never thought of it like that."

He smiled, "Just keep giving it a go and if you still don't like it we can think of something else."

She watched him with a warm expression of gratitude and admiration as he spooned his soup into a bowl and set about digging in with his chopsticks. She blinked out of her day dreaming, once again reminding herself that attraction and romance was a big no, no; Neji was just helping her get better.

 _Wasn't he?_

A loud bang on the balcony door jumped them both from their mind wanderings as a startled Neji jumped up and pushed the door open within the blink of an eye, a kunai ready and waiting in his opposite hand which made Sakura wonder where an earth he was keeping it beneath his t-shirt and jogging bottoms.

Neji blinked in shock, "Fumio? What on _earth_ are you doing here?!"

 _"Amaya's in prison!"_

xox

R+R!


	8. Chapter 8: Growing Tension

Hey guys! Here's a new update! I'm trying to keep the pace of this story up so that I don't get lost when I come back to it a few weeks later and then end up struggling to write the next chapter. This is a filler chapter, by the way, which I hate writing but they are necessary sometimes. I tried to fill it with more NejixSakura moments so that it wouldn't be boring but I promise the next chapter will be more exciting!

Anyway, enjoy!

xox

Neji stared at his young comrade, eyeing his heavy breathing and frantic gaze as his bright blue eyes shot from himself to Sakura to the dining table that housed their now cold dinner and then back to him again with a confused expression adorning his features; he obviously didn't know about Neji's latest mission.

"Fumio..." the warning tone in Neji's voice didn't go missed on the young man and he immediately jumped to attention.

"Gomen for intruding, " He nodded to Sakura, "but haven't you heard? You should be down there _now_ trying to sort this out!" He wasn't being rude but rather letting his emotions get the better of him. Exactly what Neji had been trying to not do.

Sakura frowned, "Isn't Amaya the one that I met the other day?" She asked Neji, her pink brows down turned in confusion.

Neji sighed, shutting his eye's briefly as he rubbed his temples and moved to shut his balcony doors behind Fumio to keep the cold night air out, "Why don't you take a seat." He gestured to the sofa.

But Fumio didn't move, his mouth agape slightly as he stared at his captain, "You knew already..." He whispered.

Neji sighed, nodding his head slightly, "Hai. I know because I'm the one that pressed charges against her."

Fumio's eyes widened, _"Nani?!"_

Sakura felt her own orbs widen a fraction at the news and she guiltily wondered whether or not her taunt at the other woman had anything to do with it. _Had Neji complained to Kakashi about her behaviour?_ Disobeying your captain did not land you in prison, however, but merely suspended you from work for a time. Either that or the Hokage put you on guard duty, which was enough to teach any Anbu a lesson.

"Why the _hell_ did you do that?" Fumio spat, pointing an accusing finger at Neji. "You had better have a bloody good reason as to why she's now living in the dungeons with the _rats!"_

He was angry, and rightly so, Neji thought. His silver orbs were calculating as he stared at Fumio, wondering how long the younger man had harboured feelings for Amaya and whether or not the woman had any idea that that was the case. Probably not judging by the way she had been fawning all over him for the past few months, but it still hurt to see one of his team so clearly heart broken at the thought of the person on the receiving end of his affections shoved into a cell to live on the floor for weeks. He wondered how this would affect the dynamic of his team. _Had he lost the trust of his medic?_ Sakura's light tone cut through his mind wanderings.

"Watch your tone," her retort was directed at Fumio, "he is still your captain." Disrespect towards any of her peers always made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

The younger man merely ignored her, matching Neji's stare with his own steely one; he was used to his captain, he didn't intimidate him. "Why did you do it?" He hissed, feeling his eyes water slightly as betrayal shone through.

"She trespassed on Hyuuga ground a few days ago." Neji started, toying with the idea of delving into the main reason as to why she was behind bars but he hoped that was enough.

It wasn't.

Fumio threw his hands around him, flabbergasted, _"I'm trespassing right now!"_ He laughed, shaking his head, "That's _bullshit_. We come to see you all the time Neji and we always come over the wall, never through the front door, so unless she was sneaking around _stealing_ stuff I highly doubt that was the reason."

"There was an incident she was involved in on Hyuuga property and Hiashi saw it fit that she be charged with trespassing as well as... other charges."

Fumio let out a strangled gasp, "Will you just _dam_ tell me why!"

"You said a few days ago this incident happened?" Sakura asked Neji, moving to stand as well, "I don't remember hearing about anything. What did she do? Surely Hinata would have mentioned it to me..." she mumbled.

"I don't mean to be rude," Fumio started, turning a frustrated hand to Sakura, "But you don't really _know_ Amaya."

Sakura scoffed, "I know her well enough to see how disrespectful she is to Neji."

Fumio rolled his eyes, "That's just an _act!_ She would never do anything to hurt anyone."

"Neither would I, but _apparently_ I cant seem to control _myself_ at the moment either!" She snapped sarcastically, pointing to her head as she did so.

 _"Enough!"_ Neji snapped, his patience running thin, "She's been charged with GBH for attacking Sakura!"

A thick silence engulfed the room.

Fumio glanced over at the pink haired nin, confusion marring his features as his thoughts ran wild. Neji was also eyeing Sakura, trying to gauge her reaction. Her eyes were wide and downcast, her green gaze distant and glassy as she felt her chest heave with difficulty, a picture of bright blue eyes and jet black hair flashing in front of her vision as she went through all of the times she had met the offending woman, trying to figure out if she had said or done something to disgruntle her enough to want to cause her harm. She glanced up at Neji, her hand raising to her temple as she frowned and sat back into her seat at the table awkwardly, trying to wrap her head around what on earth had happened.

"Why?", the only word that breathed from her mouth.

Neji shifted uncomfortably on the arm of the sofa, averting his gaze slightly, "It appears it may have been fuelled by myself."

Fumio finally sat, perching on the seat of Neji's chair opposite Sakura at the table, "This doesn't make any _sense."_ He groaned, placing his head into his hands, "Why would she _do_ that?!" His frustration was muffled into the skin of his palms.

"She came to see me last week," Neji started, "I had just been to see the Hokage and I bumped into her on my way home. I think she had been waiting for me," He fiddled with his fingers, twiddling his thumbs as he suddenly felt slightly awkward admitting this in front of Sakura, "She had been flirting with me for weeks and I had to try and put a stop to it." He explained, eyeing Fumio for his reaction, but the boys face remained passive, "So, I rejected her."

"Ah..." Fumio's eyebrows raised slightly. " _That_ might explain something then."

Neji nodded, "She had seen me and Sakura together a lot and assumed that it was romantically based and so tried to scare Sakura, but the joke went foul and she nearly ended up drowning her instead. According to Kakashi, she panicked and left, fearing that If I had found her there I would punish her and throw her out of Anbu."

Sakura's head lifted, "So, it was still an accident?"

Neji's mouth turned slightly, "Well, she was deliberately trying to scare you, but not deliberately trying to hurt you if thats what you mean."

Sakura sighed heavily, letting her body fall back so that her back rested on the cushion of the chair, "That makes me feel better..." She mumbled.

"She is only in prison for a month as she must be punished for the charges of GBH, but she will be back on active roster as soon as Kakashi see's it fit. All is not lost, Fumio."

The young boy nodded, sighing lightly, "Sorry for the accusations. It was just such a shock."

Neji nodded but remained quiet, hoping to leave the matter now and let it rest.

"Sorry for interrupting your dinner," Fumio directed at Sakura ,"... and for ... everything else."

The pinkette merely smiled tiredly, "Don't worry about it."

He stood, opening the balcony door as he nodded at Neji before turning his attention back to Sakura again, "I hope you feel better soon."

And with that, he left.

Neji frowned, since when did Fumio know about Sakura's condition? He didn't remember telling the young man anything about his latest mission and even though Sakura had a slightly slip of the tongue earlier it shouldn't of been enough for him to put the pieces together.

"Apparently," Sakura started, noticing the look on Neji's face, "according to Ino, there are mutterings of my condition throughout the village. It may be common knowledge for all we know."

"Ah,"

"Yes, well, maybe it's a good thing I am stuck in here."

Neji chuckled, "We're not all that bad are we?"

Sakura smiled, her tiredness starting to show through as she moved to help Neji clear the dishes from the table, "You know what I mean."

The sad thing was, his literal mind didn't.

xox

Sakura sighed, rubbing her tired eyes as she stared at her suitcase and bags that had been neatly placed just outside of Neji's door; it seemed she wouldn't be moving back to her own rooms for the foreseeable future. She tied the knot a little tighter around her dressing gown as she heard Neji's sheets rustling. She glanced back around the door way, her head poking around the wooden frame as she spotted him rolling around on his bed. It was early morning and her constant mind ramblings had awoken her before dawn. She watched him as he settled again and the sounds of his lights snores echoed across the room to her.

She smiled; he looked so vulnerable.

She wondered if anyone else had seem him like this as much as she had in the past few days as she stepped around her bundle of belongings and trudged her way through the hallways and into the main household. The way had become a little clearer now that she learned that if she simply turned left out of Neji's room and didn't turn off again she would eventually make it into the main kitchen. Once she made it there, she quietly padded her way over to the back of the large kitchen. She made her way to a wooden door, turning its handle gently and disappearing into its depths as she came out the other side into a small, narrow hallway. She slipped down its length quietly, her slippers treading noiselessly against the wool of the thick white carpet that blanketed the hall ahead of her. She turned off right once and left twice, recalling the directions from memory.

Soon she came upon a large wooden door, the name 'Hokage' scratched across a gold panel that sat proudly, if a little crudely, across the middle of its wooden panelling. She nudged the door open, not bothering to knock as she entered the darkly lit room and padded over the large mahogany desk.

Naruto looked up from his scribbling, "You know I could do you for breaking and entering."

The joke ran flat as she raised an eyebrow at him, moving to sit on the edge of his desk amongst piles of papers, "Sleep is luxury nowadays."

"Neji not helping?"

Sakura immediately blushed, her cheeks flaming pink as her mind instantly went to a much darker place in the back of her head.

Unfortunately, this didn't go missed on the blonde, his sharp blue eyes catching her slip despite it being before six o'clock in the morning, "Are you _blushing?!"_

She turned her chin away, avoiding his stark gaze as she shut her eyes in defiance, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Naruto stopped scribbling, pointing his pen at her, his eyebrow''s raised in amusement, "Someone has a crush!"

"Why does it say Hokage on your door? You're just Kakashi's assistant."

"Don't try and change the subject."

"Has your ego completely taken over now? Is this even the _real_ Naruto?" She poked his forehead, playfully.

"Don't worry I'll tell Hinata everything and maybe she can persuade Neji to make a move. Perhaps he'll give you a passing _'hello'_ or you might even get a full conversation out of him!"

The sarcasm was practically dripping.

"Don't be rude, he's not like that at all." She snapped at him.

Naruto rested his chin into his hands, fluttering his lashes at her, "Tell me Sakura-chan, what is he _really_ like?"

She swatted his arms out from beneath his head, "Seriously though, why do you have this fancy room and a plaque on your door? Are you practicing for when you take over the mantle?", she stood up and wandered around his office, her hand running along the deep red fabric of the worn sofa that sat on its own in the corner. The cushions looked almost dusty as she threw herself down onto it and got comfortable.

"I've had to take on some of Kakashi's left over work with Shikamaru and Hinata thought it would be good idea for me to have a separate office space."

She waited for him to finish, raising an expectant eyebrow.

"... And I wanted to play Hokage!" He grinned, leaning back on his chair and propping his feet onto the table.

She smiled in return, her eyes starting to feel heavy again. Naruto frowned as he noted the dark circles under her eyes. He let his chair fall back into place as he picked up his pen and started scribbling again, avoiding eye contact as he brought up the touchy subject.

"You're not feeling better?"

Silence greeted him and he raised his head to see her eyes shut tight, her mouth parted slightly as her breathing started to even out into a deep slumber. He sighed quietly, watching her nap as he moved from his seat, pulling the blanket that sat over its back with him as he quietly approached her and lay the soft cloth gently over body, letting it fall gently over her shoulders. He stood back with his arms crossed, a pained expression pulling on his features as he hoped that she was on the mend.

A quiet knock on his door jumped him from his thoughts and he turned confused to face it; the only people that knew about his new office space was Hinata and Sakura, and there was no way it was Hinata as she was still away in Sand on official clan business. Suddenly noting his hesitation he cleared his throat and called out for the person to enter.

"Hai?"

The door creaked open quietly and Neji stepped in.

"Ah, Neji-san, I wondered how long it would take you to get here." Naruto remarked quietly, nodding at his comrade.

Neji merely blinked at him before his bright lilac eyes immediately turned to where Sakura lay sleeping on the sofa. Naruto didn't miss the way his features softened as he spotted her safe and sound amongst the dark shapes of his office.

"Nice plaque," Neji remarked softly, turning to face Naruto with a bemused expression. "Handmade I presume?"

Naruto grinned, jabbing a thumb into his chest, "Only by _yours truly_ , of course."

Neji graced him with a small smile, turning to move towards Sakura with open arms as he went to pick her up.

"She can stay here, I don't mind." Naruto shrugged, moving back to sit at his desk.

"Thank you, but I would rather she was where I could keep an eye on her." Neji nodded, gathering her up gently into his arms, adjusting her so that her head lay softly on his shoulder, his gaze stayed solely on her rounded face and Naruto couldn't help but feel like he was intruding on a rather personal moment.

"Someone's getting rather attached," He grinned; poking fun at Neji was one of his favourite pass times.

"Just doing my job," Neji responded, moving to the open door and releasing one hand so that he could shut it behind him.

"Is it really just a _job_ now, Neji-san?" Naruto called after him, the door shutting noiselessly on his remark as it fell short. He visibly sagged back into his chair, making a mental note to tell Hinata when she was back from Sand of his early morning visitors.

Unbeknownst to the Kyuubi holder, Neji has heard his last remark and his cheeks were dusted pink in response, his grip a little tighter on the pinkette as he slowly made his way back to his private rooms.

This woman was doing things to his emotions that he didn't think was humanly possible.

He sighed, _"Bloody, Uzumaki..."_

xox

Her green orbs stared blearily out at the early morning sun, it's golden rays bouncing light off of the condensation covering the leaves of the garden making them glitter and glow against the dark green background of the Hyuuga forest. She sighed, tightening her grip on the blanket that lay around her shoulders, clutching a cup of hot peppermint tea in the other hand. The sounds of Neji in the kitchen filled her senses and she turned to watch him through the small window on the side of the house, his face passive yet he was clearly concentrating as he cooked them breakfast.

She sighed; she felt so _useless._

She had woken up in her bed again a few hours after Neji had brought her back to his rooms and she at first felt confusion, wondering whether or not her meeting with Naruto had been a dream, then realising that it hadn't when she felt the soft material of her dressing gown still wrapped tightly around her waist. She then felt slightly violated, lifting her head to hear the sounds of the shower running so she wasn't able to immediately berate Neji for carrying her back to her bed like a terminally ill patient. She had also noted that all of her belongings that had been left outside his rooms had now been brought in and placed neatly beside his own wardrobe, which was open and he had quite obviously made space for her things to be unpacked.

She grumbled at the memory, shrugging her shoulders to stop the blanket from falling off; since when was she _moving into_ his apartment?

She was starting to get a little claustrophobic; his constant presence, although nice most of the time, was starting to be a little invasive of her personal space. She felt like she couldn't even think about something without him reading her facial expressions like an open book and then asking her what was wrong, and his gaze was so strong at times that she felt like if she lied he would know and she would instantly feel guilty.

She sighed again, dropping her head as she struggled with the thoughts bouncing off the walls of her head.

She was also starting to get very _bored._ There wasn't much to do within the small vicinity of Neji's rooms and the patch of garden provided and she had yet to receive any of the medical documents that she had requested from Kakashi so that she could at least continue her research from within the compound.

That was probably on purpose.

"Breakfast is ready."

Neji's quiet voice interrupted her thoughts and she steeled her face into a smile as she turned to him and nodded, rising with blanket in tow as she padded back into the living space and slid the door shut gently behind her, placing her tea on the table as she sat opposite him.

An awkward silence descended across the table as they ate, Sakura pushing the food around slightly before she begrudgingly started to eat against her bodies demands; food had lost its appeal recently. Perhaps the shock of finding out about Amaya had done that, or maybe because she was feeling so self-sympathetic it was causing her to mood to dip. _Maybe she was due on her week?_ She had lost track of that a while back and suddenly realised that maybe that was the cause of her erratic emotions yesterday and this morning. She felt his steely gaze on her face as she came back from her thoughts and into the present moment, scooping up some egg and salmon and shovelling it into her mouth in the hopes that that would please him enough to leave her alone.

It didn't.

"Is the food ok?" He asked, his question sincere as he stared down at his own plate of scrambled egg and salmon on toast.

She smiled softly, shaking her head to try and physically rid herself of some of the turmoil inside her head, "It's lovely, thank you. Sorry, I'm a little all over the place today."

He smiled back gently, "It's ok."

A silence engulfed them again and Sakura couldn't help but feel that there was an unanswered tension between them that she wasn't able to shake. _She wondered if he felt it too?_ She shifted her weight as she continued to eat, wondering whether or not it was a good idea for her to ask the question that had been plaguing her thoughts since Fumio's visit to them yesterday evening. She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, watching as he poured them both a coffee and helped himself to a generous 'tea spoon' of sugar.

"Neji-san?"

He glanced up taking a sip of his coffee, "Hai?"

"Why did Amaya think that we were dating?"

He coughed on the drink, spluttering slightly as he tried to regain some of his Hyuuga posture. He grabbed a napkin and dabbed his chin, avoiding eye contact as he went back to eating his breakfast, a dusting of pink glowing across his cheeks, "I-I don't know..."

She felt a nervousness settle in her stomach at his short answer; she wasn't sure what she was expecting but now felt awkward for asking him. _What was she thinking his answer would be?!_

"I suppose because every time she came to see me recently you were there?" He shrugged his shoulders somewhat, "Perhaps because you were here alone with me...?" He gestured to his apartment. "I don't tend to have a lot of people over."

She blinked at him, "Ah..."

He cleared his throat, "I don't want you to worry about it, Sakura-san. It seems that she let her feelings get the better of her, thats all."

She nodded, smiling once again at his simple way of looking at things, "Ok."

"Since the main household is still away I thought maybe you would like to visit the Hyuuga Library today? It wont be busy and I don't suppose you want to spend another day _stuck_ in here with me." He gave her a knowing look.

"You're not all that bad." She grinned, her earlier temper beginning to dampen at how handsome he looked in the early morning light.

He chuckled, "There is a medical section that I think you will find most interesting."

She quickly finished her breakfast, the thought of exploring the library finally kicking some motivation into her as she rose from her seat, "I'll go shower and them we can go!"

Neji watched bemused as she grabbed her towel and danced into the bathroom, her humming cutting through the morning silence of the compound. _His mind wandered slightly as he got lost in a vision of her under the running water, droplets cutting through her hair and running into the rivulets of her back as it fell further to cover the full curve of her hip and across the pale skin of her-_ he jumped out of his thoughts, visibly shaken as he downed his coffee and stood, immediately trying to distract himself as he cleared their plates and started to rinse them under the sink. As he was cleaning a fruity scent wafted into the kitchen and he turned to see Sakura rubbing her hair with a towel, her baggy t-shirt thrown over her torso that fell down to the waistband of a pair of clean pyjama shorts, her white slippers adorning her now clean feet.

She grinned, "Ready when you are!"

He turned back to the sink, a blush covering his cheeks as he avoided gazing at her exposed legs any longer than necessary, "Be with you in a minute..." He muttered, listening to her pad away before visibly sagging against the side, his pale hands gripping the edges of it tightly.

 _Dam Kakashi giving him this mission._

xox

R+R!


	9. Chapter 9: Compassion

_Finally_ onto the chapter where the NejixSakura fluff really gets going! I also really wanted to introduce Sasuke somewhere in this story because I wanted to write him where he's not an arsehole. So many stories have him being this nasty piece of work, which is fair enough because he was for the majority of the manga, but I _much_ preferred how his personality turned out in the end once the characters have all grown up and so I was trying to portray that a bit here.

Hopefully it worked…

Anyway, Enjoy!

xox

The library was a lot different to what Sakura had first thought.

It was _huge._

She felt her mouth drop open slightly in awe as she gazed around the large space, her eyes roaming over scroll after scroll and book after book on everything and anything she could possibly imagine. She padded softly further into the cavernous room, running a hand over the back of a chair as she admired her new surroundings. _How had the Hyuuga's kept this quiet?_ She glanced over her shoulder at the man who stood quietly behind her as the question bounced off the walls of her mind, wondering why Neji had never mentioned this before. It truly was a magnificent piece of art; not as tall as the library in sand, nor was it as cluttered as the library in Konoha, but it could rival both in size and quantity.

"Do you like it?" Neji asked conversationally.

She spun to face him, a grin stretching her cheeks, "I _love_ it! How come you've never mentioned it before?" She asked as he padded over the carpet to the first lot of books on display, admiring their bindings to see what was on offer.

"It never came up, I suppose. I don't come in here often, it's used more by the butlers and maids of the main household."

The way he said it made her ponder that perhaps he didn't feel comfortable being in here; the way he was lingering by the doorway spoke volumes too, "Ah."

"Here, I'll show you where the medical section is. It wont be busy today as everyone is still on their visit to sand. You'll have it mostly to yourself."

She followed him quietly, finding her gaze fixing solidly onto the planes of his back as she watched the fabric move over the taut muscles beneath his skin. She flushed slightly at the random thought and immediately turned her attention elsewhere, admiring a shelf of old scrolls that they wandered past as she struggled to keep her attention on anything but him. She had wondered on whether or not their close proximity would have a profound affect on their future friendship; _would she feel less like she was treading on egg shells around him and more like she was actually enjoying his company?_ She glanced up again to watch the sway of his high ponytail as he walked and she found herself getting lost in its repetitive motion as she thought about their current relationship. _Did she harbour feelings for him?_ Or was it just her childish imagination getting the better of her because she had nothing else to pre-occupy her mind with. Either way she was enjoying his company very much and-

 _"-Oof!"_

Neji caught her with both hands, wrapping them tightly around her arms as he righted her balance and gazed down at her concerned, "Are you alright?"

In her dazed state she had crashed straight into him where he had stopped, bumping into his chest just as he turned around to present to her the shelves of medical records and files on the Hyuuga household.

"G-Gomen," She shook her head, trying to ignore the skin on skin contact from his rough hands across her shoulders, "I was miles away!" She laughed nervously, feeling her nerves peak slightly at this new chemistry.

He removed his fingers, feeling her tense slightly at his touch and he immediately retreated, keen to not make her uncomfortable.

"Well," he coughed, trying to disperse the awkwardness, "Feel free to stay here as long as you like."

She blinked, "Wont you stay?"

"I can't I'am afraid, I must go see Kakashi. But you will be safe here don't worry."

She felt slightly strange at her sudden admission to him leaving her alone, "I'm sure I'll survive," She grinned.

He smiled in return, "The shelves behind you is the medical section, as promised. I wont be long."

She nodded, watching him take his leave quickly as he disappeared through the large double doors across the room, leaving her alone with the handful of maids that were clearly off duty and enjoying the peace and quiet of the Hyuuga library. Not being completely alone in the cavernous space made her nerves soften slightly and she felt her emotions simmer as a maid across the room from her looked up and smiled politely in greeting, before going back to her writing. Sakura gave her a small smile back and a nod, before she turned and stared at the mass of new information at her eager fingertips. The woman's smile stayed with her as she grabbed the first few scrolls off the top shelf; it was uncommon for Hyuuga's to greet her, even when she walked past them in the halls or said hello herself, she never got anything in response.

She turned to find rows and rows of empty tables awaiting her arrival and yet she found her feet padding over to where the young woman sat; perhaps it was her need for human company to comfort her woes that led her way, the younger woman looked up slightly surprised at her arrival and she shifted as if embarrassed, a flush roasting her cheeks. Sakura wondered whether or not she had judged the situation right and tried to resolve it by smiling warmly.

"Is this seat taken?" She joked, grinning as she sat opposite the woman and lay the pile of scrolls she had clutched in her hands on the table in front of her.

The woman shook her head, averting her gaze as she smiled too, "N-no."

"I'm Haruno Sakura by the way. Nice to meet you!"

"Yes I know..."

Sakura blinked, "Eh?"

"Oh I didn't mean any offence! I just meant that I know who you are as I have heard of you before. I've followed your work for a while..."

It was Sakura''s turn to flush at the woman's display of admiration and she felt herself stammer slightly, "A-ah. Sorry I didn't catch your name?"

The woman looked up properly this time and smiled warmly, "I'm Mia, it's lovely to meet you!"

It was only then that Sakura noticed the one striking feature that had probably caused her to gravitate towards this woman in the first place and she cant believe it had taken her this long to notice it.

The woman wasn't a Hyuuga.

xox

Neji stared at the dank space that filled the gap between him and the thick iron bars, the stench of stale food and sweat made his nostrils flare slightly and he wondered whether it was from the woman sat in front of him or if it was just the general stench of the jail cells. He glanced at the open cells next to her and wondered briefly whether or not she had been heckled to the point of silence. She was hunched over, her beige overalls dirty and ripped from where she had refused to clean. She currently had her back turned to him, but he was almost certain she knew he was there, but was choosing to ignore him. Kakashi had called for him to go see her because she was refusing most meals but also refusing to talk, causing concern amongst the jail staff.

Neji had known Amaya long enough, to know that this wasn't attention seeking.

He cleared his throat, hoping to catch her gaze but she continued to ignore him, staring off at the corner of the cell in what appeared to be a protest.

"Amaya."

She turned every so slightly, as if the sound of his voice was breaking through her stubbornness. Her eyes flickered over her shoulder and he finally caught her gaze.

"I've brought you some food." He held out the small brown paper bag through the bars, waiting patiently for her to move.

She didn't.

"It's from that cafe that you like. You know the one around the corner from Fumio's place?"

She turned again, this time moving fully so that she was facing him, her bright midnight eyes hadn't lost their flare and she was now staring intently at the bag hanging from his fingertips, as if wondering whether breaking her silence would be worth the taste of her favourite dango.

"I don't know why you like it in there," Neji sniffed, "it's so small and claustrophobic."

He watched contented as she stood and moved slowly over to wear he held out his hand, taking the bag gently from him and moving to sit back on her small wooden chair, keeping it facing him and she gingerly opened the bag and let her face light up at the sight of the sweet treats. A cup of miso soup also sat next to it along with a bottle of water and a bag of dried seaweed. She lifted her hand grabbed the soup, letting the polystyrene cup warm her cold fingers.

"I like it because of that."

Neji raised an eyebrow, "You like feeling claustrophobic?"

She took a sip, "I like it because it is the complete opposite of everything I've ever been used to."

Neji remained silent, willing her to continue.

"I don't think you fully appreciated that me leaving home was me getting my freedom." Her voice was croaky, "Sure I entered the life of a nin, but I left the life of arranged marriages and formal dinners where my father was constantly over my shoulder."

"I understand the life of a noble can be a lonely one. The Hyuuga clan is not ignorant to that."

"I never said you were, I'm saying that we have that in common. We are both trying to be free of a clan that we didn't want to be a part of in the first place."

Neji scowled ,"That is where you are wrong. I have never _not_ wanted to be a Hyuuga."

She held her tongue, taking another sip of soup again. _Why was she trying to justify herself to him?_ Now that he stood here in front of her, she didn't feel the usual flush of her cheeks or swell of her chest. She didn't owe him her feelings, she owed him apology after apology for the pain she had caused. But her feelings were behind closed doors, licking their wounds and they would stay that way until she felt her guard could be lowered.

"I never meant to hurt her. I'm sorry." Embarrassment was not an emotion that Amaya was familiar with and she decided then and there that she didn't like it.

"I know." Neji sighed, "I accept your apology. But theres nothing I can do to get you out of here."

"I don't want to get out. I have to serve my time for what I did and I'm ok with that. Even if it means staying in here for four weeks."

Neji admired her for a moment, "I'm sorry for how I acted." He started, "I didn't take your feelings into consideration."

She stopped eating, her head shooting up to only be met with empty space and the residual energy from his sudden burst of chakra. She sighed, smiling to herself as she stared down at her reflection in the murky broth.

Perhaps the future would not be as bad as she had first thought.

xox

"Your eyes?..." The words were out before Sakura could stop them.

"Oh, right," Mia felt her smiled falter slightly, "I'm not a Hyuuga."

"If you don't mind me asking," Sakura started, suddenly finding the scrolls in front of her not as interesting, "What are you doing here?"

Mia glanced down at her hands, "It's rather a long story im afraid, but the short version is that Hiashi took me in when I was young, and I've been living and working here ever since."

"Wow..." Sakura mumbled, "I must admit the Hiashi I have met over the years _doesn't_ strike me as the compassionate type."

"He's soured over the years, I'm afraid."

"You must get all the gossip from in here" Sakura gestured to the walls around her, _"Anything to share?"_ She wriggled her eyebrows dramatically.

"Well," Mia leant over dramatically, lowering the tone of her voice to a whisper, "What they say about the _Gardner_ is true."

"What do they say about the Gardner?!"

"I don't know, but it sounds like something that would be said!"

Sakura barked a laugh, "I bet this place is squeaky clean right?"

"Afraid so," Mia nodded, moving to pick up her pen again as she twiddled it between her fingers. "You are friendly with Master Neji?"

Sakura snorted, "I'm totally calling him that from now on."

Mia flushed, "Sorry, force of habit."

Sakura started to roll out the first few scrolls, "I grew up with Neji, he was in the year above me at school and also part of the Konoha twelve so we've spent a lot of time together." For some reason that didn't seem enough in Sakura's mind.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask, is what are _you_ doing here?"

Sakura blinked slightly taken aback, but just as she was about to answer another voice interrupted.

"Mia!", another maid called from the doorway gesturing for the young woman to follow her, "Can you come help me with the laundry?"

Mia smiled apologetically at Sakura, "Sorry, I must go back to work. It was lovely to meet you though, maybe I'll see you around?"

Sakura nodded, "Hai!"

The library soon fell quiet again as the pinkette turned her attention back to the scrolls in front of her, casting her gaze across the writing on its surface as she started to study their contents. Her meeting with Mia played on her mind for a while and she found herself smiling occasionally; she was a people person and being locked up in the Hyuuga compound didn't allow for many opportunities to meet new and interesting faces.

The day soon wore on and Sakura found herself getting lost amongst the scrolls and books of the Hyuuga library, her mind staring to spin into work mode as she came across an in-depth scroll on the curse seal. She paused as she started to unroll it further, wondering whether Neji would be bothered that she had found interest in something that caused her so much pain. Her hesitation continued as she imagined the look on the older man's face if he found out. But if the information was private than they wouldn't be on display for anyone to see in the library, _surely?_ Neji must have known the scrolls were there.

 _Or did he?_

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she suddenly noticed how deathly quiet the library had become as her sixth sense kicked in. She remained where she was, pretending to continue to study but was aware of the shadow that was lurking in the corner behind her. His chakra was instantly recognisable and she felt her nerves rise a little in response. _What was he doing here?!_

"Sasuke," She murmured, "You're trespassing."

He stepped out of the shadows of the dying sun, coming into full view as he moved towards her, "I could say the same for you."

She turned to face him completely, seeing him properly for the first time since he had left and broken her heart, "I've been invited. You can get into trouble if you're not careful." She tried to not sound patronising.

He moved again, sitting in the same seat that Mia had sat in earlier that day, "I know the Hyuuga's are away in Sand on business. Besides, Naruto wouldn't let them charge me."

"Naruto is not a Hyuuga." Sakura ground her teeth, struggling to reign in her temper at his blatant disrespect.

"I also know that Neji isn't here either." Silence greeted him this time, "He's visiting that woman in jail."

Sakura's heart lurched at the new information. _Hadn't he said he was visiting Kakashi_

She sighed heavily, "It doesn't make a difference, If one of the staff catches you here-"

"They wont."

He had a nasty habit of interrupting when he was always being _right._

She crossed her arms defiantly, "What do you want, Uchiha?"

The use of his last name made his eyes widen slightly and she felt a small bit of satisfaction at his reaction; she wasn't the spiteful type and that jab would probably be her only one against him. She wasn't out to hurt him, but his presence here was making her nerves grate painfully.

"I wanted to see how you were doing..."

She blinked in surprise at the sincerity in his voice, "Oh..."

Sasuke averted his gaze, his hair falling into his face slightly as he shifted uncomfortably, "Naruto said you hadn't been … well."

She felt her mouth twist slightly, " _Unwell,_ is a loose term I suppose. Mission gone wrong with a few unwanted … side effects."

He raised an eyebrow, "Side effects?"

It was her turn to shift uncomfortably, " _Mental_ side effects."

"Ah..."

Silence engulfed the pair as Sakura struggled to find the words to continue the conversation. She looked up as Sasuke suddenly stood to take his leave.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you. But ... you are ok though, right?"

There was that look in his gaze that she had so badly missed over the past six months, the look that had made her fall in love with him in the first place; it was the look of someone who cared about her, who loved her. She felt her heart constrict painfully at the sight and her eyes watered slightly as she averted her eyes to look behind him and nodded her head, avoiding speaking incase the tears escaped.

Sasuke moved to stand next to her, his hand lingering near hers on the wood of the table top before he nodded in return and disappeared into the shadows.

Tears were the least of her worries as a pair of bright lavender eyes watched on.

xox

Neji growled in annoyance as he watched the Uchiha leave, scaling the wall close to him as he went undetected by the sharigan user, masking his chakra expertly as he quietly activated his Byuukagen and waited for the male to get at least a mile away before he emerged from his hiding place and moved towards the library. The setting sun cast a yellow hue across the wooden decking of the balcony doors and he blinked slightly as the bright rays hit his eyes as he walked up the steps quietly and gazed through the glass at the now down trodden woman. She sat slumped over the desk, her face in her hands as she consoled herself. He took some mild comfort in the fact that she wasn't crying but she was visibly upset as she suddenly started pushing the books aside and rolling up the scrolls carefully, gathering them into her arms as she turned back towards the book case.

He stepped away from the glass and hid from view, wondering whether he should go see her or wait until she emerged later back in his apartment.

His question was answered for him when he heard the slam of a door and glanced back into the library to see the room now empty. He sighed gently, rubbing his temples as he made his way slowly back through the Hyuuga gardens and in the general direction of his rooms.

He wondered if Kakashi was aware that he was nurturing her broken heart as well as her broken mind?

xox

Neji watched from the edge of his bed as she slept peacefully beneath her own sheets. He had arrived back to find her already tucked in and falling into a deep slumber. He had crept around for the rest of the evening, choosing to cook his dinner in the branch members kitchen, much to their enjoyment as they hadn't seen him in a while, before returning to read over some work sent by a fellow Anbu member.

It was late into the night now and yet he found himself unable to sleep, restless and fitful under the sheets making him hot to the point where he would kick them off in defiance, only to feel the chill of the night creep across his bare chest forcing him to wrap himself up in the blankets again.

He sighed heavily as he fell back onto his mattress, staring at the cotton sheets surrounding his large bed frame as they fluttered in the light breeze that swept through the room from his open window.

 _What was he doing?_

The mattress on the bed dipped next to him and he instantly froze.

Silence battled amongst the tense atmosphere of his room as he glanced down to see a pink mop of hair close to his chest and surrounding the vivid green eyes of his current room mate as she stared up at him as if expecting him to throw her off of his sheets any minutes. He didn't of course, but merely stared back, hoping that she would say something, anything, to save him the embarrassment of having to.

"Have I failed?" She murmured, the question almost getting missed amongst his jumbled thoughts.

He raised an eyebrow at her, still not daring to move an inch, "Failed?"

"At this life, this career. Have I failed?"

It suddenly dawned on him that she was talking about her life as a nin and how the recent failed mission had obviously struck a nerve with her confidence.

"No," He started, quick to ease her conscience, "Quite the opposite actually."

"What do you mean?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Life is difficult Sakura, and rightly so; it isn't supposed to be easy," He started carefully, "unfortunately, we will all at some point be tested in both physicality and mentality, that is the nature of our work. This has been a test of mentality, of how you cope under the stress of 'failing'. Yet here you are, alive and kicking and very much on the mend. You got kicked down and still managed to pick yourself up again and keep going. Not a lot of people can say that. In my eyes, that is a success, not a failure."

Her eyes were wide with surprise as she gazed up at him, a new found admiration for the man swelled deep within her chest and she felt her heart flutter as he smiled at her, its erratic beats playing havoc with her emotions.

"No ones ever said that to me before…"

He blinked, "No ones ever complimented your success?"

She shook her head.

"You are one of the most successful nin still working in Konoha. Don't belittle your self-worth. You sound like Hanabi…" He sniffed defiantly at the last part, averting his gaze to stare back out at the dark shadows of the Hyuuga gardens.

She chuckled softly, but said no more and the pair stayed where they were, both quietly enjoying the peace and serenity that now dissipated the previous tension. She suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable being so close to him; he was just a hand widths away from her and she could easily shift her weight and be up against within seconds, but her better judgement ruled over and she merely wriggled slightly to alleviate some of the tension building in her tense muscles.

Her mind played on her meeting with Sasuke as she settled once again into his sheets and the smell of Neji drifted through her senses, calming her nerves and allowing her to think through her encounter properly for the first time since it had happened.

Neji desperately tried to keep his focus on the gardens and not on the current view down Sakura's shirt that had now fallen open slightly and was revealing slightly more than he thought she was aware of. He swallowed thickly, calming his racing heart beat as he thought on everything but the curve of her hips and the smell of her perfume that was now wafting through his nose.

 _Should he ask her about Sasuke's visit?_

"Sasuke came to see me today."

It seemed that he wouldn't have to after all, "I know," He muttered, "he doesn't do much to cover his chakra trails."

"Oh," Sakura flushed, "I did tell him he would get into trouble if-"

"It's all right, I'm not going to do anything. No one got hurt so thats the main thing."

He turned his head to stare down at her as he said the last few words, trying to gauge her reactions as all Hyuuga's do so well to see if any stray emotions were there; _had he hurt her?_

She remained silent, staring back up at him with large forest orbs that seemed to hold a whole universe within them at times. She looked distant and forlorn, as if the memory of Sasuke was playing on her mind and she was merely day dreaming in his direction.

"Im ok," She finally said, relieving his worry, "It's just been such long time since I've felt any compassion so it was a shock to see him again."

Neji turned his head away, pondering over his next move carefully as he wondered on whether it was a good idea or not. He wasn't the spontaneous type and he didn't like much human contact unless it was family, but he felt so drawn to the pinkette that he almost acted without thinking; _very_ un-Hyuuga of him.

He shifted his weight so that he was laying on his back, propping his head up on the plush pillows behind him before he looked down at Sakura once again and opened up his arm to her.

She froze, her mouth opening slightly in shock.

 _Was he inviting her in for a hug?_

Never in a million years did she think that she would be able to say that she had received a hug from the stoic Hyuuga. The man who hated invasions of his personal space, hated any form of emotional contact and who made his life's work to ignore anyones attempts at connecting with him.

And yet here she was, on the receiving end of his affection.

He growled in annoyance at her, "Do you want the compassion or not?"

She jumped out of her thoughts, "Hai! Sorry…"

She crawled towards him on the bed and gently lay next to him, resting her head between his shoulder and chest as she wrapped her arms around her self and tensed her muscles in anticipation. A moment of silence passed before she felt the warm envelope of his skin around hers as he wrapped his arm across her shoulder and around her back, letting his hand rest gently against the curve of her hip.

She breathed.

 _Relax,_ She thought to herself, letting her eyes flutter closed slightly as his warmth penetrated her own and she found herself falling ever more comfortable within his grasp with each passing minute.

The beautiful silence was broken by his nervous cough, trying to catch her attention.

Green met lilac.

"If you tell Ino about this, you can start sleeping outside."

xox

R+R!


	10. Chapter 10: The Next Step

I am so sorry for the late update! Its been a crazy few weeks, but a new chapter is finally here! And you'll be pleased to know there is finally some NejixSakura smut.

You're welcome.

Enjoy!

xox

The hard pitter patter of rain against the windows welcomed autumn in a sudden burst of weather, it's rhythmic sound soothing Sakura's tense muscles as she watched it drip down the glass panes with bored green eyes. It had been two weeks since Sasuke had visited her and she had first met Mia. Two weeks since she had unintentionally spent the night in Neji's bed, waking the next morning before he did and slowly disentangling herself from beneath his arm as she crept back to her own sheets, suddenly bereft of his warmth. It had been completely platonic, no romance occurring despite her vivid imagination and there had been no mention of it since. Although she had noticed his attention on her had seemed to of increased and his personal space bubble had shrunk slightly, allowing small brushes of their skin in close quarters. The contact forever made her skin ripple with goosebumps and her heart rate pick up, accompanied by the paralysing affect of his purple orbs, boring down into hers as he smiled lightly at her.

She visibly jumped as her name was mentioned.

" _Ne, Sakura-chan,_ your day dreams are becoming slightly more vivid, _hmmmm?"_ Ino grinned, her pearly whites shining beneath the luminescent lights of Neji's newly installed electricity.

She glanced at her sensei, "Gomen, what did you say?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled at her, "I thought it was time you moved back to your own rooms across the compound. Your councillor is pleased enough with your progress combined with Neji's regular updates. You can have your privacy back now."

His tone suggested she would be pleased with this new turn of events but her heart sunk at the idea of not spending every day with the Hyuuga man who had stolen a small piece of her broken heart.

She smiled nonetheless, concealing her true emotion with practised ease, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

"We'll move you back tomorrow," Neji cut in quickly, not concealing his own emotions very well, much to Ino's pleasure.

"Neji-san," She cooed, "don't be sad, she'll only be around the corner." She grinned.

He glared at her, "She's busy this evening."

Ino turned quickly to stare wide eyes at Sakura, "Busy...?"

"I'm meeting Mia in the library. She wants to learn some more on medicine."

Ino's eyebrows wriggled, "I need to meet this so called, ' _Mia'"_

"I'll come by again next week," Kakashi started, moving for the door, "Neji I'll send an updated mission briefing soon."

Neji nodded, walking Kakashi to the door as they murmured quietly to each other. Sakura watched them both carefully, eyeing the way they whispered in the hopes that she could lip read what they were saying. A pair of purple covered breasts suddenly blocked her view and she gazed up annoyed into the blue steal gaze of her best friend.

"Come on, _spill!"_ Ino murmured quietly, "there must be something going on between you two."

Green met blue with intense purpose, "Stop implying things!"

"Oh, _please_ I've been so subtle."

Sakura gawked at her, "You're about as subtle as Akamaru in _heat."_

"Ino, come on, I still need to brief you on your mission." Kakashi called over his shoulder.

Sakura snorted, watching Ino disappear with the elder with a sly, knowing grin; there was no way in hell that woman had an actual proper mission briefing, not because she wasn't a competent nin, but because she hadn't been on the active roster for about two years now. The sharp blonde stuck her tongue out at Sakura over her shoulder as she skipped back over to Kakashi and followed him out of the door, giving Neji a sly grin as she past.

"You didn't have to lie, you know." Sakura started, moving from her spot on the sofa as the door shut quietly behind the retreating pair. She padded her way over to the balcony doors and watched the rain run down the length of the glass, the wind starting to pick up and batter it noisily against the side of the building.

Neji joined her quietly, also casting his gaze out to the bleak afternoon weather, "To be honest, I couldn't be bothered today."

She chuckled, "Me either."

"When are you next meeting Mai?"

Sakura shrugged, "I presume next week. She tends to come and find me when she's free."

Neji nodded, "I'm pleased you two get on, she gets lonely sometimes."

Sakura glanced up at him, her green orbs calculating as she watched his reaction to her next words, "She speaks very fondly of you..."

A blush speckled his cheeks as he cleared his throat, "Yes well, she's been in the family for a long time."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, although her chest tightened at the thought of the pair romantically involved. "I'll cook tonight," She started, moving towards the kitchen not only to satisfy her rumbling stomach but also to put some distance between the pair; her skin was hot from his close proximity.

"We were together once," he started quickly, moving after her, "But it didn't last. The Hyuuga family is rather complex..."

Sakura felt her self smile lightly as she opened the fridge and peered in, pretending to look for ingredients although her mind was buzzing with satisfaction at his honesty without her even having to pry. She turned to face him, mock innocence stretching her features.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Neji-san."

He was towering over her, his close proximity making her skin jump as she felt herself get lost in his snowy gaze. They stayed that way for what felt like a while, staring at each other in the hopes that perhaps they're growing feelings would somehow show themselves without having to speak them aloud or act upon them. It wasn't until Neji cleared his throat that Sakura realised her mouth had dropped open slightly and she swallowed thickly to alleviate the tension that had now filled the small room.

"I know, I just... never mind." He shook his head, moving away from her and towards the alcohol cupboard on the other side of the kitchen, "Sake?"

"Would be rude not to."

Neji gripped the side of the counter and took a steadying breath as Sakura continued to prepare dinner for the pair behind him. _What on earth had gotten into him?_ Since when did he blurt out his thoughts in such an uncontrolled manner. Sakura's presence in his life was slowly breaking down the walls he had spent years putting up and it was scaring him how quickly it was happening. No one had managed that before, but no one had spent such a considerable amount of time with him before so perhaps it was understandable.

"Neji? You ok?"

Sakura's voice broke through his mind wanderings and he mentally shrugged off his woes as he turned to her and nodded, moving to grab the bottle of alcohol off the shelf, filling his glass a little more generously than hers. He turned and placed the small cup next to the hob where she was starting to prepare dinner, before quietly taking his leave and seeking the solace of his large, king size bed to cool his burning loins and racing heart.

xox

"So, tell me," Mia started, grabbing a small box of scrolls and placing them on the wooden desk that sat in the corner of Sakura's new quarters, "When are you planning on going back to the hospital?"

Sakura felt her limbs stumble slightly at the sudden question and she hesitated in answering, wondering how she could word it so that she didn't give away too much personal information, "Soon, I hope, once I've finished this research for Kakashi."

She had spun a little white lie to keep her secrets to herself, telling Mia that she was spending time in the Hyuuga compound to research and analyse they're old, medical records as well as the well known bloodline that runs throughout the family. Sakura wasn't a natural liar, and she truly struggled with the guilt at telling Mia something so obviously untrue, yet trying to save what ever dignity she had left was a priority whilst she was recovering and so she had swallow the lump in her throat and spew the first thing that came into her head.

She made a mental note to remind Kakashi so that he didn't blow her cover.

"Hows that going by the way?" the younger woman asked conversationally, smiling at Sakura encouragingly.

"Oh you know, " Sakura started, turning away so Mia couldn't see her face, "It's interesting but confusing at times to understand some of the older scrolls."

Mia nodded, "Yea, tell me about it."

Silence engulfed the pair again as they worked at moving the few boxes of Sakura's necessities back into her old space. The Hyuuga's were back from their trip to sand which had run over considerably due to unsolved matters between two clans that no one would tell Sakura about. Not that she was complaining though as it had allowed her some time alone with Neji for days on end and it had satisfied her need for his attention; her emotions were still running wild and now knowing that Mia has been romantically involved with him at some point in the past made her want to feel strangely secluded from the other woman's presence that she couldn't seem to shake.

"So, how is Neji?" Mia tried to sound conversational, but it came across slightly prying and Sakura immediately hesitated in answering, making the question sound all the more intrusive than it actually was.

"He's fine, as far I can tell." She had wondered whether Mia had noticed that Sakura had been living in Neji's rooms, but she was a maid for the main household and not the branch members so she was never down that end of the house anyway and Sakura had already indicated that she was moving in straight from her apartment to continue the so called 'research'.

"It's just I've noticed you have spend a lot of time with him over the past few weeks..."

Guilt flared in Sakura's chest as her cheeks burned at the memory of her nap beneath his arms, but her back was turned and so luckily her true feelings concealed. When she turned again, she made sure her face was a clean facade before she spoke, "Yes well, Neji has one of the most interesting Byuukagen's to analyse, besides Hinata of course, because even though he is a branch member his skills are unparalleled. I was merely conducting research whilst he meditated. Its time consuming, unfortunately."

Mia smiled, although it didn't stretch to her cheeks, "Ah I see. You must show me your research some time. I would love to see what you manage to dig up."

"Speak of the devil!"

Neji's entrance into the room was a welcome distraction from the current topic of conversation as Sakura's didn't think her heart could take the string of lies anymore; she very much felt like she was spinning a web she would never be able to untangle herself from. _Perhaps she should tell Mia the truth after all?_

"All good things I hope," Neji's smile soon distracted her again and she beamed back at him as she made her way over and stood just beneath his height, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes with a heated stare.

"I was actually telling Mia here of how you used to terrorise us all when we were kids."

He blinked, "I think terrorise is probably an _over_ statement."

Sakura laughed, punching him on the arm lightly as she moved to line some books and scrolls across her new desk, "What brings you by? I thought you were visiting with Kakashi."

Mia watched the exchange between the two with keen eyes, "Good Morning, Master Neji."

Neji bowed awkwardly in return, ignoring Sakura's question much to her annoyance, "Hello Mia. There's no need to be so formal, in front of Sakura."

The pinkette scoffed, "Charming."

Mia chuckled lightly, "As you wish, Neji-kun"

Her eyes widened slightly at the sudden slip in proper etiquette and she clamped her hands over her mouth in shock. Neji seemed equally as surprised, his eyes widening slightly as he opened his mouth to speak but no sound emerged. Sakura glanced between the two, feeling a growing tension that she wasn't too comfortable with and was about to break it apart when Mia kindly did it for her.

"G-Gomen! I didn't mean that, Master Neji."

Neji frowned, "Mia, it's really ok you don't have to wor-"

"If you'll excuse me I must go. The other girls are probably wondering where I am!" She quickly brushed past the man not making eye contact as she swiftly opened the door and darted through it, "I'll see you soon, Sakura!"

"Thank you for your help!" Sakura called after her, running to the door slightly but it slammed shut in front of her and she frowned, sighing as she dropped her hands to her sides in defeat.

"She's always been like that with me, don't worry about it." Neji started, startling Sakura with his close proximity as he came up behind her, "Ever since ... well, you know."

She turned to glance up at him, "Hai..."

Silence reigned as she moved away from him to pick up a stray blanket off the floor, spending a few painful minutes folding it gently and adding it to the pile of cosy covers currently decorating her new bed. She loved cosiness and warmth, her own apartment filled to brim with cushions and tartan throws over the backs of huge sofas and chairs that took up all the corners of her living room. Like Neji, her bed was large too, perhaps a bonus to being a Shinobi was that they got discounts on the best bedroom furniture money could possibly buy in Konoha; when you've spent two weeks trawling through the rain and mud after some _idiot_ missing nin who had broken the law it was nice to come back to a bed that you could bury yourself in to recover.

 _"EEhhhh, Sakura-chan!"_

She turned from her getting lost in her thoughts to find Neji gone and Naruto stood in his place, his arms open wide as he waited patiently for her to come. She obliged and buried her head into his shoulder, sighing loudly as he wrapped his arms around her in her favourite bear hug. She gripped the back of his jacket tightly as she enjoyed the memorable smell of his orange jumpsuit and the rough cotton of his fabric against the skin of her bare arms.

"Whats with the long sigh, Sakura-chan?"

"Just," she paused, finding the right words, "a muddle of emotions going on at the moment."

He frowned slightly, "Have you not been having you're counselling?"

"Oh! No, not those sorts of emotions, that's fine," She waved away his concern before suddenly realising what she had said, but it was too late and Naruto's blue orbs had lit up like fireworks.

"Is something going on with Neji?!" He shouted, Sakura's hands flying to cover his mouth as she hissed at him to _shut up._

"No, are you crazy?!"

He grinned, removing her hands, "Why are you so defensive then?"

"Because you're an _embarrassment_ to nature"

Naruto let the insult roll off his broad shoulders, wriggling his blonde brows suggestively, "Have you had fun with Neji whilst we were gone?"

"Naruto," She warned, pointing a finger at him as she threw another blanket on to the bed from a pile in the box.

"I'm joking, I'm joking," He rubbed her shoulders generously, "hinata said she'd come visit you soon, but she had to stop by another village on the way home to organise some imports or something I wasn't really listening," he rambled as he turned to head for the door, "but I'll be back to see you tomorrow, maybe we can do lunch?"

She nodded, "That would be nice,"

"I mean, ya know, unless you're busy shagging Neji- _oof!"_

His parting gift was a flying slipper as it collided with the door that slammed shut behind him, his roaring laugh continuing down the hall as he departed. She sighed heavily falling back on to the plush bed dramatically as she covered her burning cheeks with her hands.

God _dam_ Naruto bringing those sorts of images into her head.

xox

 _Shadows darted across her closed lids and she flinched in response, lost in the world inside of her head as she found herself sprinting hard through the forest, her breathing laboured and sweat pouring down her forehead as she ran. Her nerves were a knife edge, grating painfully against her conscious trying to get her to wake up but her she was too far gone into the memory and it was dragging her further down into its darkest depths, until suddenly she had entered a clearing, the dark blanket of night casting dancing shadows across the foliage around her until she was spinning in circles, tears blistering her eyes as she desperately tried to spot the source of her fear._

 _Ambush was a cruel trick._

 _She heard a twig crack and she swung around, her sweaty palms grabbing for spare Kunai only to have them slip clumsily and scatter away from her. She stumbled after them, exhaustion causing her knees to buckle as she fell, scraping her nails through the dirt in an attempt to arm herself but the telltale rush of sudden air and the sound of feet directly behind her made her eyes widen in shock before she turned to see a pair or glowing red orbs boring down into her._

 _She screamed, a needle was shoved into her arm and the world went black._

Sakura awoke with a start, sitting up in bed as her throat closed up and struggled to gasp in air. Her hand clutched the over sized bed shirt across her chest tightly, her breathing was heavy and irregular, sweat soaking the shirt until she head to throw blankets back and run to the bathroom, splashing cold water onto her face multiple times, scrubbing her cheeks furiously as tears spilled down them, her frustration reaching its peak as she grabbed the soap and threw it across the room, smashing it into pieces as she fell back onto the wall and slid down the tiles, burying her head into her knees as she sobbed, allowing her emotions to escape quickly and noisily before she composed herself and leant her head back against the cool slate of the white tiles.

Hyuuga Neji.

Her eyes snapped open and before she could even think that what she was doing was perhaps not a great idea, she was already out the balcony door and onto the decking, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she ducked into the shadows of the foliage and discreetly scaled the wall over into the Hyuuga man's garden.

xox

Neji's dreams were filled with flashing images of bare skin and pink hair, vivd green eyes boring into his very soul until he finally shifted and his eyes snapped open, staring at the cotton sheets that blew softly in the night breeze above his bed. His heart was pounding in his chest and he took a few deep breaths to calm it down.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he immediately activated his Byuukagen, his sixth sense kicking in as he registered the other source of chakra in the room. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the promise of more rain made its self known, the deep sound reverberating through his bones as he shifted his weight and de-activated his bloodline, wide lilac eyes staring at the silhouette standing in his balcony doorway.

 _"Sakura?"_

She stepped further into the room, the light of the moon now casting dancing shadows across her body. She was still dressed in her pyjama's; shorts and baggy shirt, a blanket hanging loosely around her shoulders that she clutched at awkwardly, her toes curling slightly as her bare feet shivered against the wood of his floors. It was then that he noticed her flushed cheeks, her watery eyes and the startled expression on her face. He immediately threw the sheets back, jumping quickly down off the platform that housed his bed and padding over to her in three large bounds.

He gripped her shoulders, "Are you ok?"

She nodded, then averted her gaze as she shook her head, indecision clear across her face as her bottom lip shook and her eyebrows furrowed, "I _just-"_ her voice cracked, "-had a bad dream, thats all."

Goosebumps rippled across her skin as Neji's hands drifted from her shoulders to grip her arms, pulling her to his chest as he wrapped them around her back and hugged her tightly. She shivered against his touch, feeling her emotions peak again as fresh tears fell and she allowed herself to be comforted.

"Was it the shadows again?" he murmured.

She nodded against him, clutching the blanket roughly as she took a step back to look up at him, "It was different this time," She started, "we were in the woods. He was chasing me. I think it was a memory..." Her explanation trailed off, "Sorry, I just panicked. I didn't know where else to go." She rubbed the tears from her eyes, her heart still thumping through her chest at the ordeal.

Thunder rolled again in the distance, this time closer than before and he watched as she visibly flinched and moved to stare out into the garden, her eyes cast upwards as she watched lightning flash across the sky. Rain started its descent again, starting softly against the glass of the windows before building up to a steady hum of background noise, its rhythmic sound calming her senses somewhat.

"It's ok. I couldn't sleep very well anyway."

She turned to face him again, awkwardly twisting her hands and fingers as she tried to find the right words, "Do you mind-" she hesitated, "Do you mind if I stay here?"

Neji blinked, feigning surprise but inside his chest swelled at the idea, "Of course you can. I'll take the sofa."

A hand gripped his wrist tightly as he turned away and he glanced back at her in true surprise as she stopped him in his tracks.

Her gaze was heated, "No..." She whispered, "Please stay … with me?"

Silence echoed throughout the room, a thick tension building as his breathing picked up and his heart started to thump in his chest. _What was she thinking?_ His thoughts raced as he turned fully to face her, meeting his gaze with one if his own as he searched her eyes for some form of clue as to what on earth she was talking about.

"... Are you sure thats a good idea?"

They had never spoken about the undeniable sexual tension between them, but the question felt right to ask and she didn't seem surprised by it.

"I don't mean like that," She hushed, quick to dash his wandering thoughts, "I just need- _need_ some comfort."

Time seemed to drag as he led the way back to his bed, climbing gently up onto it and sliding over beneath the sheets to make room for her small frame. She slipped in quietly behind him, shivering as the cold fabric of the cotton sheets rubbed against the bare skin of her arms. She continued to shift forwards until the warm heat of Neji's skin met hers gently and she relaxed into the loose embrace of his open arms. Silence reined as they both awkwardly tried to get comfortable, Neji's hands resting across her back as he hugged her loosely, before moving them up to rest on her shoulder blades incase he had made her uncomfortable, before deciding against it and moving them back down again, leaving them to rest in the small of her back.

She chuckled in response. He raised a brow.

"Sorry," She whispered, "that tickled."

Silence engulfed the pair again as Sakura slowly closed her eyes and felt herself instantly relax beneath the soft touch of his warmth against her skin, enveloping her in a cocoon of heat that made her feel safe and content. She felt her breathing even out and her hearts beating rhythm slow slightly as her mind worked quietly in the background, spinning a visage of her and Neji together that danced across the dark closed lids of her eyes. She felt him shift slightly and she was pulled closer to him, her forehead now resting against the top off his chest as she moved her head slightly to sit into the crock of his neck. A pool of pleasure settled in her lower stomach and she instantly felt butterflies dance as his hot breath caressed the skin on the back of her neck. Her breathing started to pick up slightly as she tried to concentrate on falling asleep but her hips were dangerously close to pushing against his and if that happened she wasn't sure whether she would be able to control herself.

She felt one of his hands move, his fingers dragging slightly up the length of her arm, before coming to rest on her cheek, dancing down the skin of her face before his thumb settled on her chin. Her brows furrowed slightly in confusion as she opened her eyes and tipped her head back to see what he was doing, but she was caught off guard as the heat of his breath brushed across her open mouth, before he pushed his lips into hers.

She froze.

Hyuuga Neji was kissing her.

xox

R+R!


	11. Chapter 11: Senses

Well, this basically wrote itself! Which, you know, is always useful when it comes to updating chapters.

Here is some NejixSakura smut for you all. You're welcome!

Enjoy!

xox

Sakura froze.

Her muscles tensed until she was rigid with shock.

He was _kissing_ her.

 _Kissing her._

His lips were like velvet, soft and gentle against hers and almost hesitant as if he too was unsure as to how and why this was happening. She felt a warm coil of pleasure start to build at the apex of her thighs and she felt goosebumps tickle her skin as she was suddenly aware of every piece of his body that was touching hers.

 _Hyuuga Neji was kissing her._

The sudden sensual stroke of his hands that were splayed across her back was her undoing.

She shifted forwards, pushing her body flush against his as she tangled her legs in-between his knee's and wrapped her arms around his neck. He finally kissed her properly, massaging his lips into hers as he brought his hands up to tangle in her pink locks and grip the back of her head. She groaned at the new contact, the coil slowly starting to twist until she felt painfully aroused, pushing her hips into his as they both gasped at the sudden sensation.

Sudden thoughts on whether or not this was a good idea started to filter into her head but she was overpowered by his presence, his scent, his mouth on hers as he ground their hips together again, rolling them over so that he was suddenly on top of her, her legs involuntarily parting for him as he left her mouth alone to travel down her neck, leaving her breaths to come in sudden, short gasps. She writhed beneath him, her hands fisting in his hair as he grazed his lips down, _down_ until he reached the top of her t-shirt collar. She felt his hands as they dragged up the outside of her body, stopping at her hips as he let his fingers tickle underneath her top before starting to drag it upwards.

Her eyes snapped open as reality hit her square in the face.

Images of Sasuke, Mia and Kakashi all rolled in front of her eyes at once as she suddenly realised the consequences of their current actions if anyone should find out; people would get hurt, all because she couldn't control her hormones. She gripped his wrists suddenly, just as his finger tips brushed the underside of her breasts. He glanced up at her sudden interruption only to see her conflicting emotions plastered so openly across her face. He immediately stopped and pulled his hands back, moving up so that he hovered above her, resting on his forearms either side of her head.

"G-Gomen," she stuttered, although she was unsure what she was apologising for, "I just think that - perhaps it would be better to...", the words fell silent on her lips as she struggled to find the right way to say no to sex.

Who'd have thought the day would come where she would have to turn down _sex_ with Hyuuga Neji.

Ino would be so disappointed.

She watched as his eyes shuttered, moving to focus on her lips as he gently leant down, nudging her nose with his before pressing his lips into hers once more. The kiss was so soft and so comforting that Sakura relaxed completely into his embrace, gazing at him with soft emerald orbs when he pulled back and rolled off of her, opening his arms to her again so that she could snuggle back into his chest.

"It's ok," He muttered softly, stroking her back gently as he lulled her into a shadow free sleep.

And even though what was happening was confusing, fearful and _new_ , she believed him when he said it would be ok, and fell asleep with the knowledge that everything would work out in the end.

It always did.

 _Right?_

xox

"Well, I'm sure Kakashi wouldn't mind. I think its great idea."

Sakura breathed a silent sigh of relief at Hinata's permission to visit her flat. There were some medical scrolls that she desperately wanted to retrieve so that she at least had something to do in between her recovery at the Hyuuga compound, and after her rather _heated_ encounter with Neji last night, she was desperate to get out of the estate and into the relative freedom and comfort of Konoha, even if it was just for a few hours.

She shrugged sheepishly, desperate to get out of the confines of the walls, "We could just not tell him..."

Hinata nodded in agreement, "This is true. But Naruto will be back soon, so unless you don't want to run into him then I suggest you leave now." She looked up from where she was scribbling on a scroll and offered the pinkette a small smile, her lilac eyes flashing with humour.

"Arigatou, Hinata-san!", she left in a flurry of petals, using her chakra properly for the first time in what felt like years.

She landed with an undignified thump in her own apartment, a cloud of dust circling her as she coughed and tried to rise to her feet amongst the sudden spinning of the room. Her head was suddenly dizzy from the jump and even though the buildings weren't that far apart, after not having used her chakra properly for so long and storing it in large amounts in the inner depths of her chi, she was suddenly left feeling drained and disorientated.

She felt her taught nerves and coiled tension alleviate at the site of her apartment, exactly as she had left it only a little dustier and musky. She briskly walked over to the adjacent window and threw open the windows, letting in much needed air to circulate and lift some of the denser air that had settled. She breathed it in gratefully before striding through into her bedroom and doing the same there.

After making a cup of peppermint tea she placed it gently on the coffee table that sat in the middle of her large sofa's and chairs before gently approaching the bookcase that lined the opposite wall, its length spanning the entirety of concrete, cluttered with books and various scrolls that had gathered and built up over time to form a considerable collection of literary. Her hands found what she had initially been looking for and she plucked the scrolls gratefully from the confines of their home, checking the seals were intact with an expert eye.

The hair on the back of her neck bristled and she turned slightly to see a shadow stood in the corner. She blinked, and when the shadow didn't disappear but instead morphed into a familiar silhouette, she couldn't help but feel deflated that it wasn't just another hallucination.

Uchiha Sasuke was the _last_ person she wanted to see right now.

"You're home." Was his only remark as he started to walk across the room towards her, his traditional Uchiha robes in place along with his long sword strapped across his back.

She took an involuntary step backwards and felt her back touch the book case. He immediately stopped his advance, "Yes, but why are you in it?"

He raised a brow at her.

 _"My home,_ I mean." She clarified, making sure her own brows were knitted together in confusion.

"I set up a scroll to let me know when you would return so that I could see you..."

She felt her chest constrict in anger, "How did you get in?" she always set traps in her flat when she was gone for long periods of time. Traps that only _she_ could decode and that only _she_ knew the passwords too.

His eyes shuttered and the Mangekyou flashed briefly, before it returned to the obsidian depths she had grown to hate. He shrugged, " I just did."

Silence fell upon the pair as they stared at each other, emerald boring into black until she couldn't take the stifling tension anymore and broke it with a scoff and a wave of her hand, "I'm only picking up a few bits, then heading back to the compound. You can show yourself out." She pointed to the front door before turning her back to him, feeling her face scrunch up in anticipation, but his steps didn't appear and the room remained silence, his presence an overwhelming feature that soon made goosebumps run up the skin of her exposed arms; _was he aware of the effect he had on people?_

The word intimidating didn't even come close to how he was making her feel.

"I wanted to see you again."

She tensed, feeling her muscles coil in response, "... Those feelings aren't reciprocated." She bit out, not forgetting what he had done to her.

For a moment she didn't think he would respond, but then came, "I know. Are you feeling better?"

She turned as he started walking again, a hand outstretched as he reached for her and for a split second she almost walked into it, wanting to feel that warm embrace again when he used to tuck her under his arm or ruffle her hair gently. She blinked as he physically flinched, his eyes widening slightly as he stared at her. No, _glared_ at her. She felt her own eyes widen in shock as she suddenly realised what he was reacting to.

She hadn't yet bathed today.

And she had spent all of last night with Neji.

 _Neji._

"You _reek_ of him," He breathed, his nostrils flaring in anger as if he could see the chakra trails left behind by the Hyuuga male.

She turned from the bookcase and backed away slowly, feeling the tension in the room rise as Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his Sharingan shuttered into place. He placed a hand on his sword handle and she clenched her fists in response, dropping into a defensive stance as she watched him carefully, her adrenaline racing so hard that she could hear her blood pumping in her ears. She caught his gaze and held it, trying to find some semblance of humanity there, but his eyes were cold and empty, bereft of the warmth he used to exude and it left her feeling hollow and raw, suddenly learning that all of her hard work in their relationship had gone to waste; he was always doomed to become a shell of a human being.

Fate had not been kind to the Uchiha's.

And Sasuke was no exception.

"I'm going to _kill him."_ He seethed.

And with a flash of lightning, he was gone.

xox

Neji sat on the grass outside of his balcony door, enjoying the rare moment of sun in between the autumn showers that were currently wreaking havoc on Konoha. He sighed for what felt like the tenth time that morning, trying to enjoy the now peach and quiet of his garden, but he was instead interrupted by his head playing over and over again the kiss he had with Sakura last night. _Kiss_ was perhaps an understatement, more like a passionate, heated embrace that got cut short and left him with a coil of pleasure so tight he had to relieve himself that morning when he awoke to find her gone.

He shifted his weight, trying to alleviate the tension that was starting to build again and tried to think of other things, such as his Uncle's scowl or Lee's spandex jumpsuit to try and distract his mind and re-focus on meditating.

Even picturing Gai-sensei's face wasn't working.

He growled, " _Dam_ that pink haired woman—"

An explosion of light knocked him sideways as he threw his hands up to shield his eyes, his Byuukagen immediately activating as he rolled back and away from the source, but he wasn't quick enough and he felt a fist collide with his face as he was sent flying back across the grass, skidding along the wet morning dew until he slammed into the concrete wall with a grunt, pain erupting across his right shoulder as his head ricocheted painfully at the impact.

He groaned, stumbling to his feet as he tried to blink away the stars dancing in his vision, his lilac orbs now locking onto a familiar target. Sasuke didn't allow Neji a second more to recover as he drew his long sword and flashed to the Hyuuga's side, the blade flipping round in one smooth movement leaving Neji with only one option to deflect as he spun, throwing his chakra out at the last minute as the sharp edge of the blade nicked a cut into his wrist.

The sudden movement caused his shoulder to split with agonising pain and he grit his teeth in response, stumbling out of his spin and onto the grass, struggling to stay standing as he was assaulted again by the Uchiha. He threw his good arm up to block as he quickly slipped into the traditional Hyuuga fighting stance, dancing around the dark haired male and in turn making him grow more and more agitated.

"Why are you _doing this?!"_ Neji shouted, baring his teeth as he blocked a round house kick.

But he received no answer as Sasuke quickly span, his sword following suit as he sliced the air and sent a wave of pressure across the grass, cutting through the ground and forcing Neji to his knee's as he dodged it, the sound of it hitting the side of his house was deafening and the distraction cost him dearly as he suddenly found the heel of Sasuke's shoe in his field of vision.

Blood sprayed back as the kick caught his nose, the metallic tang coating his tongue as he gagged on the taste, once again finding himself flying backwards as he landed with a thud onto the decking outside his back door. He rolled onto his front, pushing up as he coughed, blood and spit splattering across the wood. He felt his chest struggle to get a breath in and he spent a few seconds trying to access the damage to his body only to feel his back stiffen as the Uchiha approached, slowly this time, deliberately making him suffer.

"You _dare_ touch her again —"

A palm slammed into his shoulder and he was sent skidding back across the grass, his sword clattering to the ground as his arm stiffened before going limp at his side.

"You touch my cousin one more time and I swear to _god_ I will make sure you never walk again." Hinata hissed, her arm outstretched as she bent down into her Hyuuga fighting stance, blocking Sasuke's view of Neji entirely.

"Hinata…" Neji groaned as pain rippled through his upper body, wincing as he struggled to sit up. A familiar presence filled his senses and his glanced up to see Sakura bent over him, her face stretched with concern as she pushed him back down into a lying position.

The pinkette noticed the expression on Neji's face at seeing her and she smiled warmly, "Just lie back down ok?" She stroked his cheek gently, her fingers tensing as she accessed his wounds, his bruises and the blood dripping from his nose and mouth. Anger surged through her as she looked around Hinata to glare at the man she had once loved, once given her heart to only to be shattered into a million pieces.

"You're trespassing." Hinata stated simply, although her Byuukagen was thumping with power that Sasuke found hard to ignore.

He grit his teeth, stalking towards her as he gestured to Neji, "He was with her last — _oof!"_

Naruto slammed into Sasuke's back, throwing him to the ground and pulling him into a tight armlock as he kicked his sword further away and dug his knee into the man's lower spine.

"Not the best idea, you've had Teme."

Defeat rattled Sasuke's features as he looked up through the gap in Hinata's legs and watched as Sakura's hands glowed green and healed the man he now desperately hated.

xox

"Ow."

Sakura glanced up from where she was knelt either side of Neji's legs, her hands pressed into his chest as she healed his broken ribs. His arm and shoulder were strapped tight, a cast stretching from his wrist up to his elbow and was the offending cause of the unending itch, he discovered. He groaned and let his head flop back onto the pillow, massaging his forehead with his good hand as he replayed the morning events over and over again in his head.

"You're awake," Sakura smiled, nudging his chest to get his attention.

He looked down at where she was straddling him and felt his lips tug into a smile, "Just about."

Her smile was suddenly lost as she frowned, pulling away her hands and letting them wrap around her arms as she averted her gaze and found somewhere else to stare, "I'm sorry…" She mumbled, "This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me."

He shook his head, grimacing as the room span slightly at the movement, "Don't be absurd."

She shrugged her shoulders gently, her eyes dropping to where his arm was strapped to his chest, "Your shoulder blade shattered and your wrist was broken. Everything is fixed but I strapped it up as a precaution. You should be back to normal in a week or two."

He merely nodded, glancing down at the bands of white that lined his right arm and shoulder. He was in his own bed and not the infirmary or hospital for once, which he relished in; Sakura's doing, no doubt. The familiar cotton of his sheets suddenly reminded him of the last time they were on his bed together and he had to shift his weight carefully to try and distract himself from his wandering thoughts.

"How did he find out about…us?" Neji asked quietly, watching her reaction closely.

"I went to my old place to get a few things this morning," She started, flushing a bright shade of red as she recalled her own thoughts, " I hadn't… showered yet, so your…"

She didn't need to say anymore as Neji cursed softly under his breath, understanding how Sasuke picking up on the smell of Neji's chakra on her. She must have been _covered_ in it. His male pride swelled slightly at that thought but it soon deflated when he noticed the tears pricking the corners of her eyes. He sat forwards, ignoring the lights dancing in his vision as he gripped her arm gently, his fingers squeezing the skin reassuringly.

"You got hurt because of me," She muttered, "It's not fair-"

"Sasuke has no say in who you spend your time with, Sakura, whether its romantically or not. He has no say in your life anymore."

"Perhaps it would be best if we didn't -"

"No," Neji shook his head, "Sakura, I know it's strange and alien to us, but I …" He stopped short suddenly, sucking in a quick breath as he realised what it was he was just about to say.

He _liked_ her.

He knew he did, had known for a while. But the way she had broken down his shields and barriers that he had spent so long putting up felt so _natural_ that he couldn't help himself last night when she crawled into his bed, into his _life._ Her emerald orbs were slightly wide with anticipation as she waited for him to finish, for him to admit that he had feelings for her so that she could say it in return and perhaps they could start something, anything so that it didn't mean they ignored the obvious attraction that was there.

"… I want to see where this goes, where _us_ goes." He gestured loosely between them, his heart in his throat as he flushed slightly in embarrassment.

Her mouth opened slightly as she exhaled, her cheeks pink with hardly contained excitement as she watched him beneath her lashes. He glanced down, his fingers fiddling with the frayed end of his bandages.

He shrugged gently, "If you don't want to, then thats fi-"

He was interrupted by her lips as she leant forwards, gripping the back of his head gently as she pulled him down into her embrace. Their lips danced as she slipped forwards on his laps, straddling his hips gently as she carefully avoided his damaged shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the now familiar sensation of his velvety lips upon hers.

She pulled back gently, gazing into his lilac orbs, "Now whose being absurd?"

He chuckled, his chest reverberating against hers before he winced in pain slightly, grimacing at the sharp pain that dug into his back. Sakura quickly removed herself from his lap and pushed him back onto the sheets, digging around in her medical kit for some morphine as she grabbed a needle to ready the solution.

"We'll keep it between us for now…" She started, filling the needle with a clear liquid that made Neji blanch slightly, but he nodded in agreement. "Now try get some sleep, ok? You're still healing."

"What will happen to the Uchiha?"

"We'll worry about that in the morning." She scoffed, jabbing the needle into his awaiting vein making him pale considerably; he bloody _hated_ injections.

As the morphine started to kick in and his tiredness returned full force, he fell asleep with the comfortable knowledge that when he wakes up in the morning, for the first time in a long time, he wouldn't be waking up alone.

That was worth a few broken bones, he decided.

xox

"Do I need to send you on another six month mission?"

Sasuke grumbled at the Hokage, his eyes downcast as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, "No, Kakashi-sensei…"

"Oh," The silver haired man sat forwards, "well thats a shame, because I happen to have one right here." He threw a clipped pile of papers across his desk, watching them scatter slightly as Sasuke stepped forwards to catch it.

The dark haired male picked up the stack of papers and grimaced at the sight of the work load, his punishment quite clearly decided for him. He glanced up as the atmosphere in the room darkened considerably and was met with a dangerous stare, the silver mans sharingan flashing dangerously under the luminous yellow lights of his office.

"Get out of my city."

xox

R+R!


	12. Chapter 12: Bad Decisions

Sorry for the terrible late chapter! Life got a way with me a little bit ;)

Here's the latest little update though - it's shorter than usual, but it's more of a filler chapter whilst I work out where I want the story to go

Enjoy!

xox

Neji groaned in pain as he winced his way slowly across his apartment.

He had all but past out last night after Sakura's healing and the added dose of morphine, only to wake this morning uncomfortable and plagued by the smell of his own armpits. He had managed to make it over to the bathroom and have a quick, half hearted attempt at a shower, failing to lift his left arm, however, and instead having to use his good hand to thoroughly scrub the smell of sweat away until he was left feeling relatively clean and fresh. He had struggled and grimaced his way into a new set of grey jogging bottoms and a black t-shirt, before scrubbing his teeth thoroughly and managing to brush through one side of his hair only to give up and throw the offending comb across the bathroom, watching satisfied as it clattered over the white tiles.

By the time he made it back to his bed he was exhausted.

The pain had returned full force now and he contemplated activating his Byuukagen to see where Sakura was in the hopes he could call for her help, but he quickly reminded himself that she wasn't a walking hospital and should probably _man up_ and deal with the pain on his own. Unfortunately, despite how incredible medical ninjutsu is, it has its drawbacks. Being able to knit bone back together seamlessly is useful indeed but where the body has been forced into healing itself so quickly, its aches considerably until you can barely contain your cries of anguish and someone has to stab a needle in your arm. Pain management was key in recovery and Neji was starting to regret perhaps not being taken into the infirmary at the compound or the hospital itself where he could have a fucking _drip_ full of morphine.

He glanced over and noticed Sakura's healing kit on his bedside table. He probably shouldn't self administer, but he was hoping she at least had some pills or something else that didn't involve needles that would at least take the edge of, of the pain that was now starting to cause the whole left side of his body to go numb. He gingerly reached over with his good hand, grimacing all the while as his damaged and sore muscles screamed in protest at being moved.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura shut the balcony doors quietly behind her.

"Oh, thank _god_ …" Neji sighed heavily, falling back onto his pillows as he winced and gripped his shoulder.

She suddenly noticed how pale his skin was at the sheen of sweat that was starting to bead across his brow. She crossed the room in seconds, her medical pack in her lap as she prepared a second round of morphine for him.

"I'm sorry, I thought that last lot would have lasted until now." She gently wiped his arm with an antiseptic wipe, before stabbing the needle into his skin.

Neji grimaced and glanced away, "It's only just started to wear off."

"All done," She smiled warmly at him, "that should start to kick in soon, in the mean time let me see..." She mumbled the last part as she climbed up onto the bed next to him, her brows furrowed as she ran her glowing hands over his bandages, her eyes distant and glassy as she started to work.

The effect was instantaneous and he groaned as the pain subsided and he relaxed back into his cushions. He opened his eyes and glanced at her, "Thank you."

She frowned, "I'm surprised the pain is this bad, there may be a tear in your muscle. Have you done anything this morning?"

He hesitated in answering, glancing away briefly, "I er-showered and brushed my hair?"

"Neji," She chastised him quietly, "I told you not to do anything! You've probably irritated the bones, they are still healing properly and are very fragile. If you're not careful they'll break again-"

"I know, I know, " he sighed, rubbing his right temple, "I'm sorry."

Small fingers stilled his movements and he opened his lilac orbs and found emerald, framed with a halo of pink as she leant down and over him, the hint of a smile starting to stretch her cheeks. She silenced him a gentle kiss to his lips, lingering long enough to make him shift forwards as he wrapped his good arm gently around her waist. She pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him.

"So you brushed your teeth too?"

"Well," He started, tightening her grip on her to stop her from moving away, "It was either that or you kiss me with morning breath."

She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust, "Lucky me, then"

He pulled her on top of him, his bandaged arm still strapped to his side leaving him with one good arm to lock her to his chest with. The dull pain faded away as their lips found each other again, a gentle massage that soon turned heated as he ground her hips into his and slid her arms around his neck, careful to avoid his shoulder as she cupped his face and kissed him back thoroughly. His free hand gripped the back of her head tightly and pushed his hips up to meet hers making her break contact and moan into his mouth. He growled in frustration as he pulled away suddenly, making her eyes snap open as she stared down at him in surprise.

"Whats the matter?" She asked quietly, their faces still close as she brushed her nose against his gently.

"I cant-" He stopped, suddenly feeling the words stick in his throat, _"-do_ anything." He gestured loosely between them, a faded pink blush scattering across his cheeks.

Sakura merely grinned at him.

"No, you cant, " She shifted her weight so that she was now sat above him, her hands splayed across his chest as she straddled his hips, "But I can."

His eyes widened in surprise as she leant forwards and let her hands start to drag down the fabric of his shirt until she reached the waist band of his pants, her fingers toying with the lip of it as she brushed her lips against his softly, teasingly. He growled quietly in response and she felt him harden against her thigh, the obvious response to her ministrations. She pressed her lips to his once more as she slipped one hand beneath the waist band of his sweats and slowly moved her way further down, her fingers slipping beneath the edge of his boxers as she met the bare skin of his hips. He groaned into her mouth as he pushed his hips up slightly, willing her to move faster as a painful coil of pleasure started to build. He growled, gripping the back of her head roughly as her fingers brushed against his shaft, her fingers grazing the skin as she teased him relentlessly.

"Master Neji?"

A knock on his door made them both freeze.

Neji didn't even feel the snap of his waist band as Sakura swiftly pulled her hand free and clambered off of the bed and he frantically moved to try and pull the sheets up and over his hips to try and cover the rather obvious reaction to they're morning shenanigans.

"Y-Yes!" He called, shifting to try and alleviate some of the painful tension that had built.

"Miss Hinata instructed me to bring you breakfast, is it ok to come in?"

Sakura spun to face Neji as she started to throw her hair back into a messy bun, panic starting to stretch her features, "It's Mia!" She mouthed to him, stretching out her arms as if suggesting what she should do. He pointed to her medical kit and she quickly caught on as she rushed over and knelt on the floor by the step up to his bed, pretending to rummage through it as she picked out random ointments and wraps.

"You can come in." Neji called, casting his gaze down at Sakura only to see the back of her top tucked into her bindings leaving her back exposed. His eyes widened but before he could open his mouth to warn her the door swung open and Mia walked in with a tray of food balancing in her hands.

The young woman's smile faltered slightly as she spotted Sakura on the floor, but she continued on with her journey towards the bed as she stepped up onto it and placed the tray on across Neji's lap, lifting the tea pot and pouring a steaming cup for him before stepping back and bowing politely.

"Good morning, Master Neji. Good morning, Sakura-san."

Sakura lifted her head and smiled warmly at her new found friend, but inside she was burning with guilt, "Good morning, Mia. How are you doing?"

"I'm well thank yo- Oh. Er, your top..." The younger woman quickly darted around her and pulled her top free, letting the fabric fall gently down the skin of her back as she glanced up at Neji only to see him pretending to enjoy his breakfast rather thoroughly.

Sakura flushed bright red in embarrassment; to Mia it looked as if she was embarrassed to have her skin exposed in front of Neji, but in reality she was embarrassed by almost being caught out in the act. Struggling to control her emotions, she turned away from Mia and focused on her medical kit again.

That should have been Mia's queue to vacate the room as her job was now done, but she lingered, her toes rolling slightly as she fidgeted with her hands, glancing awkwardly up at the man sat in bed currently sipping his morning tea.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked quietly, directing her question at Neji.

He blinked, "Hai, thank you. Thanks to Sakura's help I should be out of the cast in a week." He smiled politely, but deep down he was wishing she would leave only so that the current tension in the room would alleviate. Fortunately for him, Sakura's acting skills were top notch and she moved to defuse the situation.

"Mia, are you free this afternoon? I thought you could help me with some old scrolls I have been decoding for Kakashi."

The girls eyes it up, "Really? Oh, yes that would be wonderful! I'll meet you in the library?"

Sakura nodded, smiling with a wave as the young woman bowed once more before vacating the room.

"Arghhhh," Sakura moaned, falling back onto the floor as she hid her face her hands, "That was so awkward..."

"Dont let it get to you. What happened between us was a few years ago now."

"I think I should tell her."

Neji choked slightly on his tea, "I really don't think thats a good idea..."

"But I feel so guilty!"

"I thought we agreed to keep it quiet for a bit?"

"I know, but -"

"Sakura," Neji opened his arm, gesturing for her to join him on the bed, She complied, kneeling next to him on the mattress as his arm wrapped itself gently around her hips, his long fingers stroking the skin beneath her top. "We only decided to give this a try _yesterday."_

She smiled, "I know."

"Lets just enjoy it for now. We don't even know where it's going."

"Ok," She smiled again gently, leaning forwards and pecking him on the lips before pulling back and jumping off the bed, "Right, I have some actual work to do now and then I have my next appointment with the councillor so I'll come back and see you later."

It was Neji's turn to groan in annoyance; he had wanted to continue their earlier encounter but it seemed her mind was elsewhere now as she pottered about, making sure he was comfortable and gathering her medical kit up again.

"I'll see you later ok-"

A flash of blinding light made her squeal as she threw her hands up to block her face, Neji visibly jumping in shock as Naruto tumbled out of his jutsu and stood with his hands on his hips, grinning at the two of them like he'd caught them doing something naughty.

If he'd arrived ten minutes earlier, he would have,

"Hey lovebirds!"

 _"Bloody hell,_ Naruto!" Neji gasped, gripping the fabric of his t-shirt over his chest as he calmed his racing heart.

"Sorry, my bad. I thought you would have sensed my chakra though?" He raised a blond brow as he grabbed Sakura into a head lock and ruffled her pink hair, chuckling as she scrambled against him.

"I was ... distracted"

"I can see that," Naruto grinned as the Hyuuga frowned, letting his features fall into their familiar scowl.

"Let go!" Came Sakura's muffled reply as Naruto released her from his clutches and watched amused as she tried to smooth down her now frizzy hair, "Who are you calling love birds, anyway?!"

"You guys." He deadpanned.

"I was just giving him his next shot of morphine," She shot back before Neji could say anything.

"Uh-huh, sure," Naruto's teeth flashed white in the early morning sun as he grinned once more, "I came to see if you were still free for lunch today?"

She punched his arm, "Not now you've given me a _Uzumaki_ perm."

"Oh, come on, we never see each other anymore!" He whined, following her out through the balcony doors as they both bid farewell to the now lone Hyuuga.

Neji sighed, shaking his head as he went back to eating his breakfast.

She shut the doors behind her quietly before making her way across the grass, "Not my fault you're a sought after man now!"

"Not mine either, " He grinned.

As soon as they were over the garden wall and into the main Hyuuga gardens she stopped and turned to him, glancing around as she made sure no one was within ear shot, "All right. Spill it."

He feigned innocence, clasping his hands behind his head, "I don't know what you're talking about..."

She tapped her foot impatiently, "You know I can read you like an open book,"

"All right," He sighed loudly, "it stank of sex in there," He wrinkled his nose as if even talking to her about intimacy was a bad smell in itself.

She flushed pink with embarrassment, but it wasn't anything she hadn't dealt with before; he used to comment on her and Sasuke's relationship all the time, "You can make your own assumptions about whats going on, but for now we are just friends."

With that she spun on her heel, storming away from him with no idea as to why she was angry in the first place.

"Ok, but we 're still having lunch yea?" He called after her.

She growled.

Stupid Naruto always thinking with his stomach.

xox

Silence engulfed the room as Kakashi nervously tapped his fingers on the wooden desk of the Hokage office, his one visible eye darting between the two women who occupied the space with him. He jumped when one of them suddenly stood, her green orbs ablaze with anger.

"You _what?",_ she spat, the venom icing her words making his skin crawl.

"I sent him on another six month mission-"

 _"Why?!"_ She shouted, her pink hair flying around her as she stood and gestured wildly around her, "Why was that your decision?"

He hesitated, unsure of what to say. _Why had he made that choice?_

"You are putting off the inevitable, Kakashi! He should be _locked behind bars!"_

"Sakura…" Hinata started, standing as well as she reached out to her friend, but her pity was re-butted as the pinkette whirled around and stormed from the room, the re-sounding slam of the door reverberating the floorboards around them.

"Well!" Kakashi started after a moment of silence, "That went better than I thought."

Hinata frowned as his eye crinkled into a smile.

xox

She panted heavily, her chest stabbing painfully at the effort as she heaved in and out, her breath clouding the air in front of her as she raised her fists again and narrowed her eyesight onto the training dummy ahead of her. It had been so long since she had last trained, so _long_ since she had raised her fists in defence to anyone. The memories of when she had last fought were blurry and undefined to say the least, her foggy mind still unable to remember what had truly happened to her that fateful evening. She grit her teeth at the anguish that clenched her throat, the butterflies that rose in her stomach as she tried to desperately picture her assailants face. He was still undefined, a masked man with glowing red eyes as far as she was concerned and even though he was six feet under thanks to Neji, it still made her heart ache in anger that she hadn't been able to repay the favour. She wasn't a resentful person, nor did she feel that blood should be paid with blood, but the idea that she wasn't able to exact revenge, wasn't able to ask _why_ he had done what he had done. Why he had tortured her for information that she would _never_ have given away, no matter what her training had been growing up. She would never reveal anything about Konoha, even if they broke every finger she wouldn't mutter a single _gods dam word_ about her village, her home, and the secrets it kept.

They were her secrets to keep, and it would stay that way for as long as she lived.

The only sound that echoed throughout the Hyuuga training grounds was her fist colliding with the dummy's face, it's fabric covered head spinning violently as she knocked it off its axis, the momentum almost causing it to spin off the body entirely.

Almost, but not enough.

Six months ago she could have obliterated the dummy.

 _But now._

Now her strength had diminished to mere _chuunin_ level.

She roared in frustration, opening up her chi as she released the chakra she had been storing for the past few months and watched in sadistic satisfaction as the training grounds around her obliterated.

She gasped at the sudden exertion of chakra, her chest caving suddenly as she dropped to her knees on the shattered ground, her hands catching her weight as she slumped forwards, sweat pouring off of her forehead as she panted.

She had pushed herself too far.

Her last thought as she collapsed onto the ground was how much trouble she would be in with Neji before the world spun around her and turned completely black.

xox

R+R!


End file.
